


The Prince and the Girl-Who-Lived

by crocogirly



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Tennis no Oujisama | Prince of Tennis
Genre: AU, F/M, Fem.Harry, Growing Up, Hogwarts Third Year, M/M, Maybe - Freeform, Pranker Harry, Protective Ryoma, Trust Issues, messed-up wizarding world, slight angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-02
Updated: 2019-03-09
Packaged: 2019-03-12 20:07:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 34
Words: 208,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13554651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crocogirly/pseuds/crocogirly
Summary: What if Hari Potter (fem.Harry) was suspended after helping Sirius escape the Dementors in Hari’s third year at Hogwarts? What if she got tired of being in constant danger and not seen for who she is but always as her parent’s daughter or the Girl-Who-Lived? What if Hari had enough and escaped? What if she went to her friend in Seigaku?Read and find out how that changes the lives of Hari and the wizarding world completely and influence the world of Prince of Tennis.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Some adjustments are made in this story to make it fit together. So the whole rescuing Sirius and learning the truth about who he is and that he’s not out to kill Hari will happen much earlier than in the books. It will still be happening in Hari’s third year, but it will happen around March, so it will fit with the Prince of Tennis storyline. But basically, this story will be true to canon up till this point and then turn AU after that for the Hari Potter-Universe. 
> 
> Prince of Tennis universe will be loosely followed, but probably be moving toward AU as well as the story progresses. 
> 
>  
> 
> **Also, I am currently writing a Harry Potter/Kuroko no basket crossover called "Finding your way home" and that will be the story I will focus the most on. So, this one will not have as regular updates as my other story. Just a warning to you all.**
> 
>  
> 
> I have one more confession to make: I haven't watched all of the Prince of Tennis yet. I know, I shouldn't update anything without having watched it all. But I just couldn't get this idea out of my head and decided to just post it and take it from there. I'm currently around episode 134 of the Prince of Tennis. 
> 
> Hope you'll give it a chance and that you'll like it. 
> 
> Oh, yeah: I do not own Harry Potter or Prince of Tennis. Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling and Prince of Tennis belongs to Konomi Takeshi!

_Hari walked and ignored the hot sun that burned her skin as she kicked a rock that was lying on the ground. She watched as it skipped further up the curb as she turned off the concrete road and walked down a dirt path she had walked many times before._

¨

_Thwock … thwock… thwock…_

_Hari blinked as she turned her head toward the sound and saw a boy with black hair with some green in it and a white cap on his head. She blinked. She had never seen him before and he was holding a tennis racket and hitting balls so they hit a tin can. She turned and walked to the edge of the court while watching the boy who seemed so focused on what he was doing that he didn’t see her._

_Thwock… thwock…thwock…_

_She couldn’t stop looking as he hit the can again and again… it looked so easy yet hard and she blinked in awe as he caught the ball that spun back to him. He straightened up and turned to look at her._

_“Who are you?” he asked bluntly._

_…_

_“Come on, Hari!” the boy yelled. “We’re almost there!”_

_“Wait, Ryo-chan! Wait!” Hari yelled breathing hard and blinked as a hand reached out and grabbed her hand to pull her forward and she smiled as she followed her friend._

_“There!” he said. “Mada mada dane.”_

_Hari breathed hard as she stopped running._

_“Why did we have to run, Ryo-chan?” She asked when she caught her breath._

_“To train our stamina,” Ryo-chan said._

_“Why?” she asked._

_“Because we’re going to be great tennis players!” Ryo-chan grinned pushing at his cap._

_“Tennis-players?” she repeated._

_..._

_“Mada mada dane,” Ryo-chan said smirking at her and pointing his racket at her._

_“Argh,” Hari grumbled getting back to her feet and dusting herself off. “One more time!”_

_“You sure? You’re still going to lose,” Ryo-chan teased._

_“One more time!” Hari snapped._

_“Hai,” he said._

_..._

_“We’re leaving….” Ryo-chan said._

_He wasn’t smiling._

 

Hari startled awake and blinked as she remembered the dream, but why did she dream about him now? She hadn’t really thought about him for ages and she should just forget him like he had forgotten her. She rubbed her eyes tiredly as she fell back on her bed and stubbornly refused to let her mind wander to him. She was not going to think about him. Absolutely not. She sighed and turned onto her side as she tried to get her mind away from him. 

She was currently at Privet Drive number four even when it was April and months until Hogwarts ended, yet the thirteen-year-old was back there where she was friendless and alone. It wasn’t really that strange that she had dreamt about the first time she had met her first friend, come to think about it. Not when she had been separated from those she now considered friends… 

_“…after a thorough examination it has been decided that Harriett Lily Potter will be suspended from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for the remainder of the school year.”_

The words still spun in her mind even after arriving back at Privet Drive number 4 and being locked in her room for the last day without much food or even water. Hedwig was also locked into her cage and was unhappily glaring at Hari like it was her fault. 

She could still see the smug look on Snape’s face as the Minister of Magic himself had read up the conclusion of their small inquiry at the school. Hate and anger boiled inside of her just remembering Snape and his smugness like he had triumphed over her by going over Dumbledore’s head and getting the Minister directly involved. 

Suspended from Hogwarts, unable to leave the Dursley’s like she for those glorious few hours thought she would be able to, unable to contact her friends or anyone at Hogwarts at all for months. And for what? For trying to do the right thing and save her godfather from being kissed by Dementors? 

It felt unfair and wrong, and what was more she was the only one who had been suspended. Ron and Hermione had not been and they had been there with her, but they had parents who cared and stepped up to protest. Who did Hari have? The Dursley’s? They didn’t care nor was they really consulted (“they’re muggles, Miss Potter”), but she knew that even if they had been consulted they would have enjoyed seeing her hurt. The only thing they hated by this was that she was back in their house months before she should. 

Sirius? While he seemed to care about her (at least more than most) he was unable to help given that he was the problem in the first place. 

Remus? They wouldn’t listen to him because of his werewolf status. He had also been run out of Hogwarts when Snape (the git) had outed him as a monster for the entire school. Forget the fact that he was the best Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher they had ever had, forget that he was a human being, forget humanity completely, no he was a werewolf and turned into a wolf once a month and that was enough to be idiots. 

The more she thought about the magical world the more she disliked it, Hari found. She remembered when she first learned about the world and everything had seemed so perfect and amazing. She had been so innocent and naïve back then, back before she had been forced to do a grownups job. Back before she had almost been killed several times because a madman had decided that he wanted her dead. And no one really did anything to keep her safe. 

Why did she even want to remain at Hogwarts? 

“Girl!” Petunia's shrill voice sounded and seconds later her door was unlocked and her aunt was standing there looking at her like she was dirt. 

Oh, right…because she had to remain with the Dursley’s if not… Hari sighed. 

“You’ll make dinner for us and don’t make a mess!” Petunia snapped. 

Hari got to her feet and moved toward the door. A slap on her cheeks had her tearing up at the pain and unexpected action. She refused to let them fall, though, as she stepped back and stared at her aunt. 

“Answer me when I talk to you, girl,” Petunia sneered.

“Yes, Aunt Petunia,” Hari said in a monotone voice. 

She walked to the kitchen and started dinner while Petunia walked to the living room and joined her son and husband in front of the television. Hari sent the living room a glare as she finished dinner and set the table, she didn’t set a plate for herself knowing she was not allowed to join them. 

“Dinner is ready, Aunt Petunia,” Hari said quietly from the doorway.

“About time, girl,” Vernon said. “Any slower and we would have starved to death.” 

Not likely, Hari thought but wisely didn’t say anything. She waited until Petunia sent her to her room and she walked back to the smallest room in Privet Drive and fell back onto the bed again. 

“I’m sorry, Hedwig,” Hari said when Hedwig hooted. “I wish I could let you out.” 

 

The days passed much the same and Hari was set to do the chores like she had grown up doing, and Petunia seemed to enjoy making her work hard from morning till night making her fall asleep exhausted.

“I hate this,” Hari mumbled as she stared at the dry bread at the plate in front of her. It wasn’t necessarily the bread she hated, but being there cut off from her friends. It hurt that they hadn’t sent her a letter; did they blame her for what happened? 

She felt her muscles ache as she got up and walked to the sink to do the dishes, she then went to find the washing cloth and started to scrub the floors before she moved onto the windows. It was well past lunch before Petunia said she could take a break. 

She stared out of the window with unseeing eyes as she drank the cup of water that she was allowed to have. Her mind was on her friends again and she wondered what they were doing. They should be finished with Defence Against the Dark Arts now… She wondered who Dumbledore had gotten to teach when Remus wasn’t there anymore.

Hari sighed as she spotted the mailman and she got up to go and get the mail before Petunia asked for it. She picked up the small stack of envelopes that was lying on the floor just inside the door and was about to place them at the small table next to the hall when her name caught her attention. Did she get mail? A sudden feeling of Déjà vu hit her and she frowned. She glanced at the living room where she heard the sound of one of Petunia’s shows and walked back into the kitchen to open her letter. 

**Hi Hari,**

**I try again even if you don’t reply to my letters. I don’t know why you never do when you promised you would. Don’t you want to write to me, Hari?**

**Anyway, we have (or dad has) decided to move back to Japan soon. Mum is packing our things already and I have to start to pack my room. Mum’s already asked several times. I just don’t want to move. Not again. But dad says he wants me to attend the same Middle School he went to as a kid, Seigaku Academy. I guess it should be interesting to see just how good this school is and if it can help challenge me in tennis.**

**Do you play any tennis at all anymore, Hari? I hope you do, but I haven’t seen your name in any of the tennis competitions in Britain. You were good, I remember.**

**Okay, I have to go and start packing. I hope you answer this one, Hari. Dad said that maybe you could come and visit sometime.**

**Bye,**

**E. Ryoma**

Hari stared at the letter with wide eyes and her breath had caught in her throat as she stared at the writings of a boy she had met years ago and who she had believed had forgotten all about her. But…this letter proved that he hadn’t and he had tried writing her over the years even when he didn’t receive any letters back.

She narrowed her eyes and stormed into the living room where Petunia looked up startled before glaring at her, but before her aunt could open her mouth to say anything Hari was already speaking.

“Why did you never tell me that Ryoma wrote to me?!” she almost growled. 

Petunia’s eyes widened slightly and then she paled before she caught herself and glared at Hari. 

“That isn’t any of your business,” Petunia said.

“It’s very much my business!” Hari snapped. “He’s my friend and he wrote to me! Why didn’t you let me have his letters? Why? Why? WHY!” 

Petunia stared at her for a long moment and Hari breathed harder and she felt tears in her eyes, but she couldn’t help it. The first friend she had, the first friend who had seen her and talked to her without bullying her hadn’t forgotten her like she thought. He was still trying to reach her, and she hadn’t answered because of her so-called family. 

She had met Ryoma when he had lived a couple of streets away from here, back when she was 9 and he was 8, and they had met at a tennis court that was almost hidden away. Hari used to go there to hide from Dudley and his gang, and one day she had seen a boy with dark hair and a cap playing tennis against himself. He had looked lonely, like her, but at the same time looked so…peaceful and graceful that she had almost thought he was a dream. 

He then had asked her if she played and she had almost lost her balance when he talked to her. She still remembered his voice, it was calm and soft. Though, a little impatient. She remembered how he asked again and she had shaken her head making him sigh looking disappointed. He had then offered to teach her and she had accepted just because he had talked to her. She wanted to talk to him more, but he hadn’t been very talkative. 

“That man thought the friendship was unwise,” Petunia said breaking into her memories and she frowned at her aunt. 

“Who?” Hari asked calming down slightly but still angry. 

Petunia stared at her before she sighed and turned off the television surprising Hari since she never done that before. She had expected to be slapped for her questions and disrespect, but her anger had made her storm in and demand answer before her mind had caught up with her. 

“That headmaster of that school of yours,” Petunia said. “He told us that the friendship outside of that school was not to be encouraged.” 

Hari felt something inside of her fall apart and she sank down at the chair behind her as she stared at her aunt. She wanted to deny it, to say that Dumbledore would never do anything like that. That he was a kind man that cared about her and would never separate her from her only friend. She clenched her hands together so harshly that her nails dug into her palms drawing blood but she didn’t notice as the horror of the truth came to her. 

Dumbledore had made her aunt and uncle withhold letters from Ryoma from her. He had made her believe that she was forgettable, that she wasn’t worth the hassle to keep in touch with. She couldn’t wrap her mind around it. Why would he do that? Why? Just why was it bad that she had friends? 

“Do…do you have the letters?” Hari whispered. 

Petunia sniffed before getting up and left the room. Hari stared after her feeling empty and lost, all of her anger had left her and she now only felt alone and completely empty. 

“Come on, girl!” Petunia called impatiently and Hari blinked before she got up and saw Petunia at the top of the stairs looking down at her. Hari ran up the stairs and followed Petunia up to the attic where she pulled out a small wooden box and pushed it toward Hari. 

Hari stared at the box and barely noticed that Petunia had left without another word. Hari didn’t really have any energy to wonder about the fact that Petunia had actually given her the letters and told her the truth. She would never have believed it if she hadn’t just witnessed it. 

Tentatively she carried the box with her down the ladder and down the stairs and out of the house. Somehow she felt she had to be there for reading the letters. There at the place where she had met her first ever friend. She finally reached the tennis court and found it empty and saw that it had decayed over the years without regular use. She doubted that anyone besides Ryoma had really used it, and her when Ryoma taught her of course.

She sat down and pulled out the stack of letters and there was plenty. She swallowed as she took one and opened it. She quickly read it and sobbed slightly as she realised for real that he had never forgotten about her. She sat there until long after dark and read the letters (not noticing that she used a wandless and soundless Lumos-charm to be able to read in the dark). 

 

After having read the letters Hari used the next few days to think about what to do and used her time to do chores to think about her life and what her options were. Going back to Hogwarts was not something she fancied. She never wanted to see that man again! Ever. He had taken Ryoma from her and that was unforgivable. 

Hari scowled as she washed the windows startling the neighbour who happened to look at their house right then but Hari didn’t see her or notice the startled look on the neighbour's face. She couldn’t believe that she had fallen so deep under Dumbledore’s influence. Just why did she think he was so great? 

It didn’t tempt her to stay here either because it was clear she was an unwanted and unloved here and she refused to let herself live like that. Not again. She had seen what it was like to have friends and someone who cared about her. At least she thought Ron and Hermione cared about her… but they hadn’t written… doubt filled her for a moment but she pushed it away. 

She had to get away; she had to find a new life. Her mind drifted to Sirius, but she hadn’t heard from him since he had escaped on Buckbeak nor had she heard from Remus. She was disappointed at the lack of contact, but it wasn’t like she had expected it either. 

Then her hand stilled as she thought about Ryoma. He had said (in almost every letter) that she was welcome to come and visit them. Perhaps she could go and see him? Perhaps Ryoma’s parents could help her? Was there hope? 

Problem was that they were in Japan and she was in England, and how was she as a minor manage to travel all the way there by herself? She was sure there was something stopping her from doing so, but…perhaps… her mind spun with possibilities as she finished the chores and started dinner. 

She frowned as she thought and was caught unprepared by a hand grabbing her arm hard causing her to yelp and look up at the angry face of her uncle. 

“Watch where you’re going, girl;” Vernon snapped. 

“I’m sorry, uncle Vernon,” Hari said. 

“Spacing out and causing trouble,” Vernon muttered as he pushed her away from him and made his way to the table and sat down to eat his dinner. “You should be happy we allowed you back into the house before the summer. You’re so worthless and incapable of staying out of trouble! Being suspended for abetting a criminal! I’ve never been so ashamed.” 

Hari looked down and tried to push his words out but a voice in her mind whispered that he was right. She gritted her teeth refusing to rise to the bait he offered. 

 

Hedwig hooted sadly and Hari looked at her with a sad smile and walked over to the cage and offered some food to her. It took from her own food, but she couldn’t watch Hedwig starve and she knew her owl was already hurting being locked up like this. 

“I’m a terrible friend to you, Hedwig,” Hari mumbled. “I’m sorry.” 

Hedwig hooted and nibbled at her finger in a comforting move and Hari smiled slightly. She walked back to the bed and picked up the one gift she really enjoyed; her photo album. She had placed a photo of her and Ryoma at the back, it had been in one of the letters and Hari couldn’t stop looking at it. 

She was standing next to Ryoma who was looking a little awkward but he was smiling his small smile that she knew meant he was happy. She was also smiling leaning slightly toward Ryoma with a lighter look in her eyes than normal. She remembered the day it was taken very clearly. It was one of the best days in her life before Hogwarts, still was actually. She had spent the day with Ryoma and his family. His mother, Echizen Rinko, had fussed over them and cooked delicious food for them all to enjoy before Ryoma’s dad, Echizen Nanjiro, had pulled them to the tennis court to play tennis. 

She put the photo album back on the nightstand and lay back on the bed staring at the ceiling again. She wanted to see Ryoma again. She wanted to see her friend. It was almost like a burning inside of her that said that the right place for her was with them, but how could she get there? And…would they allow her to stay?

Was it right for her to go there? Would she bring problems with her? She shook her head, she couldn’t think like that. She had to stay positive and focus on how she could get there. 

 

“Aunt Petunia…” Hari nervously asked from where she was hovering in the doorway to the kitchen. Vernon had just left for work and Dudley had left for school. 

“What do you want, girl?” Petunia asked. 

“I…um, I wanted to ask you something,” Hari said. 

“What?” 

“I know you don’t want me here and I don’t want to be here,” Hari said getting Petunia’s attention as she turned away from the bench and stared at Hari with her light blue eyes. 

“Sit down,” Petunia ordered and Hari sat down and watched her aunt do the same. “Talk.” 

“I want to go to my friend,” Hari said bluntly taking confidence from the fact that Petunia was listening. “But as a minor, I can’t travel that far by myself without consent from a guardian. That’s why…that’s why I thought that if you allowed it, I could go.” 

Petunia arched a brow and stared at Hari without saying anything for a long time. She pursed her lips and Hari fought the urge to press her to talk.

“Why should I allow that?” Petunia asked. 

“I would be out of your hair,” Hari said, “at least until summer. If…if I can manage to figure something out before then, perhaps longer.” 

“You could leave and never come back?” Petunia asked. 

Hari nodded.

“What about that school of yours?” Petunia asked.

“What about it? I don’t want to go back;” Hari said coldly and Petunia arched a brow. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but she closed it before anything came out. 

“How are you getting to your friend?” Petunia asked. 

“I can buy a plane ticket,” Hari said. 

“We’re not paying for it,” Petunia said immediately. 

“I have money,” Hari rolled her eyes. “Enough to pay for the ticket, anyway. I also need a passport.” 

“We have one for you,” Petunia admitted. “Vernon has a possible business trip this summer and since both me and Dudley are coming with him we had to make a passport for you as well, seeing that you would have been made to come with us.” 

Hari nodded stunned at the possible luck she had. That meant that she didn’t have to talk to the goblins about a passport and that made anyone tracking her more unlikely. She knew how…challenged wizards were in the muggle world. 

“Oh, thanks,” Hari said.

Petunia sniffed and got up to make some tea and much to Hari’s surprise she was given a cup of tea as well. 

“I suppose we can manage that,” Petunia said looking at her. “Though, what are we going to say when they come looking for you?” 

“Tell them what you want,” Hari shrugged. “Tell them I ran away from home. Tell them I moved away and don’t want anything to do with them anymore.” 

Petunia seemed to look at her with something she had never seen before and Hari wondered just what her aunt was thinking, but Petunia never revealed what she was thinking. 

“Or you could move away and hopefully they won’t find you,” Hari shrugged. 

Petunia nodded but she didn’t look too happy about moving away, but Hari could tell she was thinking about it. 

“I will need to talk to Vernon,” Petunia said. 

Hari nodded and took that as the dismissal it was and got back to her chores. 

 

After that everything moved rather quickly. Just like she thought the Dursley’s were very interested in getting her away and hopefully out of their lives for good. Vernon had even almost smiled at her when he had called her down to the living room the very same night. 

It was decided that Petunia would take her to London the next day and while Petunia shopped in Muggle London Hari disguised herself and entered Diagon Alley. She went to the bank and found out that she could get a muggle bank card that would make it easier for her to get access to her money. She also changed some money into muggle money before she left the bank and went to the different shops she needed. She bought many books she thought would be useful for further studies (she knew her magic needed training so she would study by herself) and a new magical trunk that allowed her to hide her magical items from the muggle customs. 

After she was done in Diagon Alley she went to a muggle clothing shop and bought a few new shirts and pants since most of the muggle clothes she had were Dudley’s old ones. She didn’t want to stand out too much. 

Finally she met Petunia at their scheduled spot and was on her way back to Surrey hopefully for the last time. She didn’t relax until they were back at Privet Drive and back in her room with her new items. Now the only thing left was pack. 

 

Two days later Hari was on a plane and on her way to Japan, Tokyo. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A longer note comes after next chapter!  
> Should be up really soon...


	2. Finding Ryoma again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own anything!

So…she was there. Finally, she was standing outside of Seigaku Middle School and felt completely lost on what to do next. Hari hadn’t really thought about this part yet. Something, she realised, was kind of a large flaw in her plan. Just…how was she supposed to find Ryoma in this school? While not as impressive looking as Hogwarts (but then again which school would stand a chance against a magic castle in the Scottish High Lands?), Seigaku looked like a good school that was reasonable rich and well off. She had certainly seen worse schools back in Surrey. At least Seigaku looked like a school without death-traps. 

Anyway, the problem at hand was how to find Ryoma and then explain why she suddenly showed up after years without contact and not answering his letters. He was probably angry at her for that, Hari frowned. She bit down on her lip as she tried to think and figure out what to do. She was not sure how long she had been standing there in front of the school, but she was sure it was a while. 

She glanced at her bag that was thrown over her shoulders and smiled as she thought about the magazine she had bought at the airport. It was a sports magazine and they’d had a piece about Ryoma in it, which was the reason she had bought it. 

Deciding to just enter the school ground and hope to find Ryoma that way she started to walk and lugged her suitcase behind her as she did. She looked around curiously as she walked around the school. It was much larger than she had first thought and she was briefly wondering how she was supposed to find her way inside of this place. It was like a maze! So annoying she frowned as she suddenly was at the gate again. Just how did she get back there! 

Annoyed she turned and walked to the left and walked and walked and walked some more. Just how large was this place? And why did she suddenly find herself inside? She hadn’t meant to walk into the school, but she had thought she could use a shortcut and get out on the other side somehow. 

It was like being back at Hogwarts and always getting lost. Only this place wasn’t even as big or had any staircases that moved, so really, she didn’t have much of an excuse. Not that she would ever admit that. 

Finally she found the door leading out and she saw a dirt path and she decided to follow it, soon she saw large wire fences that looked like cages or something and she smiled in triumph when she saw the tennis courts. There! She found it! But…did it has to be that many? And…these looked empty. 

Sighing as she started to doubt that she would find Ryoma this way she continued to walk until she saw a girl up ahead swinging a racket. Hari paused and tilted her head slightly as she observed the girl; she had long brown hair that was in two ponytails that were braided and a sweatband around her head. 

“Oi, oi, oi,” the girl said as she swung the racket. 

Hari could tell she was a beginner and not very good, but the determination was there so Hari found herself smiling slightly as she watched her. But…did she really think that practising tennis in a short skirt was the best idea? 

Hari shrugged and started to walk again. 

_“You’re not bending your knees enough,” _Hari said in English just because she felt like saying it, but like her dad and godfather, she did have some mischief in her.__

____

“Eh?” The girl blinked stopping mid-strike and stared at Hari shocked. “What did you say?” 

____

Hari just smiled at the girl. 

____

_“Um…sor-sorry, don’t…um,… know?” _the girl stumbled clearly not very good in English.__

______ _ _

_“I see, you’re determination is good but your swing is lacking in power,”_ Hari continued. _“Bye!”_

______ _ _

Hari waved and continued to walk chuckling quietly to herself as she walked the direction she thought she should go. She heard the girl call her, but she wanted to find Ryoma so she didn’t stop. 

______ _ _

 

______ _ _

_“Hm,”_ Hari hummed as she blinked as she found herself staring at a wall. _“How did that get there?”_

______ _ _

She thought she had found the tennis courts, so why did she suddenly stare at a wall? Sighing she turned and walked back the way she came and found the cages again, she looked to see that the girl from earlier was gone. She should have asked where the tennis club where instead of pretending that she didn’t know Japanese. Oh, well… it had been funny to pretend that she didn’t understand her. 

______ _ _

She continued straight ahead and soon noises could be heard and she spotted a crows standing at the side of a cage. She smiled to herself as she quickened her steps slightly. 

______ _ _

She paused behind a group of what looked like freshmen and she recognised the girl from earlier but now she was with another girl and three boys. Hari looked away from them and at the tennis court where a game seemed to be going on. 

______ _ _

Her eyes widened and she smiled. 

______ _ _

“I found you,” she grinned as she had indeed found Ryoma. He was standing on one side of the court with a red racket in his hand. It was clear that he was in the middle of a game and he wasn’t the only one. Several of the courts were occupied by games. 

______ _ _

Deciding that she shouldn’t interrupt she turned toward a group of trees and put her suitcase underneath it and climbed up to settle on a branch because it would give her a great overview of the games and she would be hidden from view. She didn’t want Ryoma to become distracted by seeing her before he was done. 

______ _ _

Besides…this gave her time to watch him play. 

______ _ _

She hadn’t really watched tennis in a while so she enjoyed getting the chance to watch it again. Even if she hadn’t watched or played in a while she could clearly see that the one Ryoma was playing wasn’t one of the best and that Ryoma was holding back as he easily won. 

______ _ _

“Ryoma-sama! Ryoma-sama! Ryoma-sama!” 

______ _ _

The loud cheers made her wince and rub her ears as she turned her green eyes to the girl with pigtails jumping up and down holding some sort of pink banner and in Hari’s opinion just being annoying and loud. 

______ _ _

She noticed that two grown-ups had joined the girls and the woman with short reddish-brown hair had a camera around her neck while the man with brown hair and yellow shirt had a bag over his shoulders. They must be journalist or something, Hari guessed before turning her attention back to the game. Which had just finished… 

______ _ _

Hari smiled as she observed Ryoma who had taken a seat on the bench and she noticed that he didn’t even sweat or look tired as he pulled at the sweatband around his left wrist. She arched a brow as she recognised it and swallowed as she suddenly felt rather emotional. It was the wristband she had given him before he left England… She couldn’t believe that he was still wearing it. 

______ _ _

She yawned as the matches seemed to end and they all took a break for lunch and Hari settled back on her branch and closed her eyes feeling tired. She smiled as she remembered the way Ryoma played, she wished he would face a stronger opponent so that they could see what he really could do. 

______ _ _

A loud sound startled Hari enough to wake her from her slumber and she had to grip the branch to prevent herself from falling down. She turned her eyes to one of the courts and arched a brow when she saw the boy with spiky black hair jump into the air and for a moment she almost thought he was flying before he smashed the ball to the opponent’s side so hard that it was impossible for the other boy to return it. 

______ _ _

“Ooooh…” Hari hummed as she looked closer at the boy. He was good, she thought. 

______ _ _

She kept watching as the boy talked to two other boys who were standing just outside of the wire fence before walking to the bench and putting on a blue and white jacket. Now that she thought about it he also had on a white and blue t-shirt the same as the other two boys behind the fence, but the one he had played had only worn a blue training suit and a white t-shirt. Did the white and blue t-shirt mean something special perhaps? 

______ _ _

A smile spread as she saw Ryoma enter the court and chuckled as he walked passed the boy she had just watched smash the ball seemingly with his eyes closed. Just what was he doing? Anyway, they talked for a bit and it seemed like Ryoma found some of what the older boy said interesting because his eyes opened and he turned toward him.

______ _ _

 

______ _ _

It was time for Ryoma to play again and Hari pushed herself up more on the branch knowing that she wanted to watch him play. She saw the crowd had grown for this match and it was clear that it meant more to them than the others. She also saw that the player (he looked kind of scary, but she supposed that it didn’t really mean he was scary…just look at Hagrid) that Ryoma was facing was wearing that white and blue t-shirt. It had to mean something. But…what was with the way he walked? He looked like he was slouching and his arms seemed to be dangling lazily as he walked. 

______ _ _

The match started and Ryoma had the serve. Hari watched as he served and the other player, bandana she would call him since she didn’t know his name, returned it. It continued like that for a little while until bandana-guy failed to return a ball. 

______ _ _

15-0 – Ryoma in the lead. Since she couldn’t hear what the referee said she had to count the scores herself. 

______ _ _

They started again and it continued like before, back and forth for a while until it looked like Ryoma had managed to get the ball past bandana-guy…but…what was with that stance? She frowned confused. 

______ _ _

Hari felt her eyebrows rise as he actually reached the ball and returned it. Her eyes followed the ball and she felt them widen in shock as she saw the way it twisted and turned in the air, changing direction and putting Ryoma out of place. 

______ _ _

15-15.

______ _ _

That was unexpected, Hari thought, leaning back at the branch as she looked at the two. She saw the shock in Ryoma and wondered if he would show them more of what he could do now. 

______ _ _

“Finally,” Hari smiled as she saw Ryoma change the racket from his right hand to his left. This was only the beginning. 

______ _ _

The match continued and it went back and forth seemingly pretty tight as they won one game each setting the score 1-1. Hari had no trouble seeing that they both were serious now and studying the other as they stared at each other. She couldn’t help the smile on her face or the feeling of peace and happiness that filled her as she watched her first friend play. 

______ _ _

He didn’t even know she was there, but right now that she was watching him play she didn’t really care. It was enough right now to just get to watch him play tennis again, something she had missed more than she thought. It was so long since she had played tennis herself, Quidditch had taken her time at Hogwarts and besides, it wasn’t like many there even knew what tennis was, something else that the magical world missed out on, all of the wonderful muggle sports. 

______ _ _

Hari grimaced as she thought that those shoots from bandana-guy reminded her of a snake and she couldn’t help remembering the basilisk. Ugh, that wasn’t something she wanted to think about at all. 

______ _ _

Ryoma sure was running a lot, Hari thought a little worried. She was sure that it was in the bandana-guy’s plan and she had to admit that it was a good one. She worried her lip slightly as she kept watching. Yet, as Ryoma ran and ran his shots never wavered and he returned enough to keep the score even and bandana-guy was starting to look worried. 

______ _ _

Hari suddenly saw Ryoma smile as he said something and she smirked lightly as she realised that Ryoma had turned the situation around. While he looked like he was sweating a lot as well, but the bandana-guy was also sweating and Hari could tell he was looking shocked like it had suddenly snuck up on him. 

______ _ _

The match continued like this with them winning a game every other time and a real endurance match took place. Hari wondered who would last the longest as she sat on her branch watching them curiously. Her eyes widened when she saw Ryoma suddenly use one of the bandana-guys moves against him, the one looking like a snake. That had to be a blow to bandana-guy’s confidence, Hari thought taking note of the shocked expression on the guys face as he turned to look at the ball that had just gotten passed him. She also noticed that the audience also looked shocked seeing the move and seemed to look at Ryoma with something like respect in their eyes. 

______ _ _

Ryoma won and he didn’t even smile. So stoic he was, Hari thought fondly. He had smiled more when he was in Surrey. Why didn’t he smile more? Well, the rest of the freshmen looked happy and soon the boys that looked to be his age ran to the court and surrounded him while he looked on with a blank face. The girls from earlier, braided-twin-tails and pigtails, was jumping up and down cheering looking like he had just won Nationals or something. 

______ _ _

Hari furrowed her brows in worry when she noticed that bandana-guy was hitting his knees with his racket pretty harshly, even drawing blood. She winced as she stared at him. Why would he do that? He had his face away from where she was sitting so she couldn’t make out his expression before he turned and she saw the angry scowl on his face and the pain hidden there. 

______ _ _

She watched as he refused to shake hands with Ryoma and walked, no stalked, off the court passed the other boys with the white and blue t-shirt that was standing watching at the side. She was so busy watching that she didn’t notice that she had gained some attention there she sat. 

______ _ _

“EH! WHO ARE YOU AND WHY ARE YOU SITTING UP THERE?” 

______ _ _

Hari blinked and looked down to see the two freshmen girls (braid-girl and pigtails-girl) and also the two (whom she guessed were) journalists staring up at her with wide eyes. She sighed inwardly as she stared down at them without revealing what she was thinking or that she had understood what they said. 

______ _ _

Hari also noticed that the girl’s loud voice had gained the attention of the remaining players on the court, Ryoma and the white-and-blue-guys being some of them as well as the freshmen boys. Oh, she really should learn their names because giving them these nicknames wouldn’t work in the long run. Well, whatever. 

______ _ _

She looked back at the girls and stared at them as they stared at her though she was aware that the others were moving closer and coming up behind them. 

______ _ _

“Oh, there really is a girl in the tree, nya,” a red-haired white and blue t-shirt-guy said cheerfully as he stared up at her. 

______ _ _

“Who are you?!” pigtails demanded. “Why are you here? Are you spying on Ryoma-sama? I’m the president of his fan-club so you have to go through me before you’re allowed to do that!” 

______ _ _

Hari tilted her head slightly as she blinked at the over-enthusiastic girl. Just who was she and did she have to be so loud all the time? 

______ _ _

“Ano, I don’t think she understands you, Tomo-chan,” braid-girl said nervously. “She spoke English earlier…” 

______ _ _

The other girl, Tomo-chan, blinked and looked at her. 

______ _ _

_“Who are you?”_ she tried in very accented English. _“What are doing here?”_

______ _ _

Hari sighed and swung her legs off the branch and jumped down ignoring the shocked exclamations from the others as she did and landed perfectly on her feet and straightened up to look at them. 

______ _ _

“Ah,” a familiar voice said and Hari looked passed the girls and to Ryoma who was standing in the back having been uncaring about the whole thing but now his hazel-coloured eyes had widened and his mouth was slightly opened in shock. 

______ _ _

“Oh, do you know her, Echizen?” one of the loud freshmen boys asked. 

______ _ _

_“Hello, Ryo-chan,”_ Hari greeted with a smile in English. It was too much fun to keep her ruse up. _“I’m sorry to drop in on you like this. It’s been a while, huh?”_

______ _ _

Ryoma seemed to pull out of his surprise and moved closer to her and his eyes shone in something she couldn’t name. He stopped in front of her and narrowed his eyes. 

______ _ _

_“A while?!”_ he repeated. _“You haven’t returned any of my letters! Why are you here?”_

______ _ _

Hari frowned slightly and looked down before looking back at him worrying her lip as she did. She hated to show weakness but she felt unsure and guilty by the hurt look in his eyes as he stared at her. She had hurt him even if she hadn’t known…

______ _ _

_“I’m sorry, Ryo-chan,”_ Hari said quietly. _“I never meant… I never received your letters. My aunt and uncle never gave them to me. I’m sorry. I only saw one letter a couple of weeks ago and I asked my aunt and she admitted that they had hidden your letters.”_

______ _ _

He frowned but he didn’t look angry anymore. 

______ _ _

_“Why would they do that?”_ he asked. 

_____ _

Hari shrugged. 

_____ _

“Ano, Echizen, who’s this?” the dunk-guy asked and up close Hari noticed that he had purple eyes. 

_____ _

Ryoma turned to look at them his face blank again and Hari turned to look at them as well. Ryoma looked at her and then back at the other tennis players plus fangirls. 

_____ _

“She’s my friend, Hari Potter,” Ryoma said. 

_____ _

“Where did you meet, nya?” the red-head from earlier asked bouncing up and down causing the one standing next to him (with short black hair that was shaved on the lower-half of his head) to reach out to calm him down. 

_____ _

“England;” Ryoma said. 

_____ _

_“Hello! I’m…Kikumaru Eiji, nya,”_ the boy gave her a peace sign as he introduced himself in broken English. “Yoroshiku!” 

_____ _

“Momoshiro Takeshi,” the dunk-guy said, “call me Momo-chan!”

_____ _

“Oishi Shuichiro,” the one who had calmed Kikumaru down smiled kindly at her. 

_____ _

Hari nodded back to him and the others before they continued to state their names and some came with a broken English greeting, it was clear that English wasn’t their best subject and she almost smiled as she watched how they struggled to find the right words. 

_____ _

“Fuji Shusuke,” A smiling boy with closed eyes finished the introduction round and Hari felt he was someone she should look out for. It was something with his aura that had her wary.

_____ _

_“When did you arrive, Hari?”_ Ryoma asked turning back to their conversation. 

_____ _

_“Today,”_ Hari shrugged, and gestured to the suitcase under the tree. _“I didn’t know where you lived so I came here looking for you, Ryo-chan.”_

_____ _

Ryoma nodded and smiled slightly, _“alright. You’re coming home with me, then.”_

_____ _

Hari smiled and nodded. 

_____ _

 

_____ _

Hari helped Ryoma clean up the court unaware of the clear blue eyes that were watching them from the shadows as she and Ryoma talked as they cleaned up the court in English as normal but she was aware that the freshmen were watching them closely. 

_____ _

When they finished she waited for him to get changed before they could start on their way back to his place. As they walked she got more and more nervous as she thought about what his parents would say. It was one thing to meet Ryoma again; she knew he wouldn’t ask too many questions. He never did and she had counted on that he was still like that. But his parents…they would ask and Hari was not sure what to say. 

_____ _

Ryoma was glancing at her and she knew he was curious, but she smiled and he shrugged giving her a small smile back. He told her about one of the tennis matches he had played back in America before they moved to Japan and Hari listened closely. 

_____ _

_“Here we are,”_ Ryoma said. 

_____ _

“Sugoi,” Hari said as she stared up at the house after entering the yard that was hidden behind a wall. “It’s perfect.” 

_____ _

It looked like a mix between a traditional and modern house, something she couldn’t help but think fit this family really well. She noticed Ryoma looked at her with a raised brow and she blinked at him. 

_____ _

“You said that in Japanese,” Ryoma said when he found his voice again. 

_____ _

“Oh, yeah,” Hari smiled at him. “I taught myself Japanese so I could talk to you in your language.” 

_____ _

He looked a little surprised before he smiled wider, “honto?” 

_____ _

Hari nodded and he laughed.

_____ _

“And you pretended not to understand the others back at school?” he asked amused. 

_____ _

“Well, it’s funny to hear what they say when they believe you can’t understand you,” Hari shrugged but a mischievous look was in her eyes. 

_____ _

“Great,” he said and started to walk up to the house again. 

_____ _

She followed and swallowed the nerves as she did and entered the house. 

_____ _

“Tadaima,” Ryoma called out. 

_____ _

“Okaeri,” a female voice answered before they saw a young woman with long dark blue hair and purple eyes came into the hallway from what Hari guessed to be the kitchen or living room. The girl was slender and rather tall, taller than Hari anyhow, and she looked surprised when she saw Hari behind Ryoma. “Oh, did you bring a friend with you home today, Ryoma-kun?” 

_____ _

Ryoma glanced at Hari before looking back at the girl. 

_____ _

“Hai,” Ryoma simply said. “Where’s Oyaji and okaa-san?” 

_____ _

The young woman blinked and looked away from Hari and over at Ryoma again who was looking at her. 

_____ _

“Oba-san and Oji-san are out,” the girl said. “Oba-san should be back soon.” 

_____ _

Ryoma nodded and turned to Hari who stood a little unsurely just inside the door. 

_____ _

“Hello, I’m Meino Nanako,” the girl, no Nanako, smiled kindly at Hari. “I’m Ryoma’s cousin.” 

_____ _

“Hi,” Hari smiled nervously back. “I’m Hari Potter. Nice to meet you.” 

_____ _

She saw the surprised in Nanako’s eyes when Hari spoke in good Japanese, but she didn’t ask anything as she just smiled and turned to go back to the kitchen. 

_____ _

“Come on, Hari,” Ryoma said and lifted the suitcase to place it on the wall. “Let’s go up to my room while we wait.” 

_____ _

“Ok,” Hari nodded and followed him up the stairs and to the room that was obviously his. It wasn’t very large, but a good size and a bed were in the corner and a desk on the opposite wall with a bookshelf next to it. She saw several tennis balls lying around the room and a tennis racket was standing leaned against the bookshelf. She saw schoolbooks on the desk suggesting that he was currently working on some homework for class. 

_____ _

Hari wasn’t aware that Ryoma was watching her as she looked around the room. She sat down in the office chair and spun back and forth softly as she turned her eyes toward her friend. 

_____ _

“You’ve grown since last time I saw you,” Hari said. 

_____ _

“Che,” he said and walked to the bed. “So have you.” 

_____ _

She smiled, “I suppose I have.” 

_____ _

 

_____ _

“Ryoma-kun!” Nanako called up the stairs and Hari blinked tiredly as she realized that she had drifted off a little. She felt guilty about it, but Ryoma didn’t look annoyed as she met his eyes. He smiled slightly and pushed himself up from the bed and she got up to follow him. 

_____ _

“Hai!” Ryoma called back. 

_____ _

“Oba-san and Oji-san are back,” she called. 

_____ _

Hari inhaled deeply pushing the doubt, the worry away from her mind the best she could and followed her friend down the stairs. 

_____ _

 

_____ _

Hari heard the voices coming from the room behind the door and she briefly wondered why she was so worried, she had always liked Ryoma’s parents before…but she was worried. What if they didn’t let her stay? What if they sent her back? What if they got angry and prevented Ryoma from seeing her?

_____ _

Before she was ready they had entered the kitchen and Hari saw the girl from before and Ryoma’s parents. They hadn’t changed much from the last time she’d seen them, Rinko was still slender with brown hair and brown eyes. She looked elegant and nice, Hari thought just like she had when she was a kid. 

_____ _

Nanjiro…well, he looked like Nanjiro, Hari supposed only now he was in what she thought looked like monk-clothes (though it looked rather ruffled) and his black-brown hair was messy, Hari also noticed that he had the same eyes as Ryoma, the hazel-coloured ones. 

_____ _

“Ah, Nanako-chan,” Nanjiro was whining as he sat on the chair leaning back almost tipping it too far so he would fall off it. “Who’s with the brat?” 

_____ _

“Oyaji,” Ryoma snapped annoyed and Nanjiro’s head snapped toward them and he smirked at Ryoma before his eyes landed on Hari and she saw how he blinked and fell forward on his chair snapping into place in his shock. 

_____ _

“Ryoma…” Rinko turned from the kitchen counter where she had been working on dinner, but she too trailed off when she saw Hari. 

_____ _

“Domo,” Hari said nervously. 

_____ _

“Eh? Hari-chan?!” Nanjiro asked before he smiled and got to his feet. “Is it really little Hari-chan?” 

_____ _

“Dear,” Rinko smiled as she came forward and Hari blinked once before she found herself hugged by the older woman. Hari stiffened at first not used to the hugs (even if Hermione and Mrs Weasley hugged her from time to time) before she relaxed and let the older woman hug her. 

_____ _

_“Oh, sorry, Hari-chan,”_ Rinko suddenly said pulling back and looked at Hari’s flushed yet confused face, _“we forgot and spoke Japanese to you.”_

_____ _

“Oh, that’s ok,” Hari smiled at her and saw her eyes widening, “I learned more Japanese after you left.” 

_____ _

“That’s really impressive,” Rinko smiled at her. “You’re very good.” 

_____ _

“Arigatou,” Hari said shyly.

_____ _

“You’ve gotten so big, Hari-chan,” Nanjiro grinned a little creepily, but Hari smiled at him. “Such a beautiful young lady.” 

_____ _

“Oyaji,” Ryoma glared at his father who laughed. 

_____ _

 

_____ _

“I didn’t know you were coming, Hari-chan,” Rinko said when they had eaten dinner and was seated in the living room. 

_____ _

“I…I didn’t know how to call and I kind of just decided to go,” Hari said looking down missing the look from the others. 

_____ _

“Ryoma has been very worried about you when he never received a letter from you, Hari-chan,” Nanjiro said looking at her even as he had his newspaper open and looked like he was reading it. 

_____ _

Hari looked down feeling guilty and sad again. 

_____ _

“I know,” Hari said quietly. “I…never got the letters.” 

_____ _

“Eh?” Rinko asked confused yet her eyes narrowed as she looked at Hari. 

_____ _

“My aunt and uncle never gave me his letters,” Hari said looking at them. “I only saw the last one by mistake when I got the mail. I think Aunt Petunia forgot about it.” 

_____ _

“They…hid his letters from you?” Nanako asked shocked. 

_____ _

Hari shrugged and looked away from them. She could feel them watching her and knew Ryoma was frowning. 

_____ _

“Ano, why would they do that?” Nanako asked. 

_____ _

Hari felt the anger boil in her gut as she heard the question and burning hate and anger, yet also hurt and pain filled her as she thought about her old Headmaster who seemed to think he had the right to manipulate her and take away her only good memory from her childhood in Surrey. 

_____ _

“Apparently an old coot decided that I shouldn’t have friends outside how his school,” Hari spat turning her burning eyes toward the others and she saw the startled looks as they saw her. 

_____ _

“Hari-chan?” Rinko asked and Hari calmed down a little. 

_____ _

“Gomen ne,” Hari mumbled. 

_____ _

“What did you mean, Hari-chan?” Nanjiro asked his newspaper forgotten. 

_____ _

Hari sighed. How was she going to explain this without revealing magic to them? How was she going to make this believable? Yet another thing she hadn’t really thought about… 

_____ _

“Ano…I guess a lot has happened since I saw you last,” Hari said looking up at them feeling tired and so, so exhausted. Why was her life such a drama-zone? Why couldn’t she just have a normal uneventful life like everyone else? 

_____ _

“Hari?” Ryoma looked worried even if he tried to hide it behind a stoic mask. 

_____ _

“It started when I turned 11 and got accepted to my parent's old boarding school in Scotland,” Hari said and saw the arched brow from Rinko. “I never knew anything about my parents, not until Hagrid…a gamekeeper at the boarding school came to explain everything to me. Apparently, my parents were…rather well-known and had been killed by a terrorist that had plagued Britain back then.” 

_____ _

“Oh my… how old were you when they died?” Rinko asked looking on verge of tears but there was strength in her eyes as well. Hari looked down; she didn’t like the look of tears in Rinko’s eyes. She didn’t want her pity. 

_____ _

“I was fifteen months,” Hari said a haunted look in her eyes as she remembered the Dementors and her mother’s scream. “I was the only survivor when he attacked. Mum and dad both died to protect me (she remembered her dad calling her mum to take her and run) and…he failed killing me when he tried.” 

_____ _

Hari looked at her hand to avoid looking at them and getting to lost in her memories to register the silence that filled the room when she took a break from talking. 

_____ _

“I was known as the Girl-Who-Lived because of that…and most in the same circle as my parents remember that” Hari said frowning. “When I first started the school I loved it and thought it was the best place in the world. I got new friends and a place that seemingly wanted me and welcomed me…a place where I didn’t appear to be a burden.” 

_____ _

“Hari-chan…” Nanjiro blinked. 

_____ _

“But it’s not really that great,” Hari continued. “The professors mostly see James and Lily’s daughter, they don’t really see me. They all expect me to live up to how they were at school, good or bad…” 

_____ _

Take Snape for an example, Hari thought bitterly and his smug face from when she was suspended flashed through her mind. He hated her because of her dad, not because of something she had done, but because he hated her dad.

_____ _

Even Professor McGonagall was guilty of seeing her parents and not her when she looked at her. The flying incident where she should have gotten detention but was put on the Quidditch team instead was one example, or when she and Hermione were caught out of bed in their first year. They were punished too harshly back then, Hari could see that now. She knew McGonagall did it to try to prevent Hari from developing the same disregards of rules as her dad…again not seeing Hari and punishing her for her faults. 

_____ _

“Etoo,” Hari paused thinking. “Anyway, I’m kind of rich, I suppose. Many want to control me and have these ideas of how I should be or do. My old headmaster is one of those…He wants me to be the ideal my parents died for…” 

_____ _

Hari trailed off not able to say anything else as hurt filled her again. Why did he do that? She had thought he was like her grandfather or something. She had thought he cared. She was so stupid… 

_____ _

“That’s sick,” Ryoma scoffed breaking the silence that had filled the room. 

_____ _

Hari snapped her head up and looked at him. He looked angry and she felt a little warmer over the fact that he was angry at her. 

_____ _

“Then, what now?” Rinko asked. 

_____ _

“Why aren’t you at your school, Hari-san?” Nanako asked. 

_____ _

Hari worried her lip for a little while before she sighed. 

_____ _

“I was suspended for the remainder of the year,” Hari admitted quietly. “My friends weren’t, but I was and was sent back to the Dursley’s. Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon weren’t happy about it and I…couldn’t stay there.” 

_____ _

“You ran away?” Rinko asked.

_____ _

“Why were you suspended?” Nanjiro asked at the same time. 

_____ _

Hari looked away and she fisted her hands against her thigh. 

_____ _

“There was an incident at school and…I was blamed for it,” Hari said quietly. “My friends and I were blamed, but only I was suspended. They had parents that protested the suspension. I think they wanted to make a statement, and I’m a good scapegoat.” 

_____ _

Rinko frowned but Hari was pleased when she didn’t press the issue, right now she wasn’t sure she felt like talking about it. 

_____ _

“And I didn’t run away,” Hari said. “Well, not exactly. Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon gave me permission to go in the hope that I won’t be back.” 

_____ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo... um, yeah. Another story and the second chapter. What do you think? I'm really hooked on Prince of Tennis lately (can't watch it fast enough, but my brother (whom I watch it with) won't watch as fast as me...*pout*). I just love it! The characters, the universe, and even tennis! Though, I must admit that I haven't watched much tennis in my life before so most of the game rules are new and confusing to me. 
> 
> Like I mentioned earlier; this story will probably not have as regular updates as my other Harry Potter/Kuroko no basket crossover. I don't have the time to focus on both story equally and I'm still more invested in the other one. I just couldn't resist posting this when I suddenly found myself writing two chapters. I will also try a slightly different writing style for this, mostly keeping it to Hari's point of view. Though, I might change it a little as the story continues. We'll see. And you will notice Japanese words used and I will provide a list of the meanings of the words used in my author note after every chapter. 
> 
> I would love some feedback on this and if you have any ideas/ wishes for pairings. I'm not too sure about what pairing I want. I was thinking either:   
> A)Hari/Ryoma (but also maybe just as siblings slash friends)  
> B)Hari/Fuji S.  
> C)Hari/Fuji Y.  
> D)Hari/Kaido  
> E)Hari/Sanada  
> F)Hari/Atobe  
> I'm open to suggestions! Please! :) 
> 
> Hope you like it. Let me know in the comments below! Thank you! :) 
> 
> Japanese words used:  
> Yoroshiku - Nice to meet you  
> Sugoi - Amazing  
> honto - Really?  
> Tadaima - I'm home  
> Okaeri - Welcome back  
> Oyaji - Old man/ dad  
> okaa-san - Mum  
> Oba-san - aunt  
> Oji-san - uncle  
> Domo - thanks, hello, nice to meet you  
> Arigatou - thank you  
> Ano - filler phrase  
> Gomen ne - Sorry


	3. Talks and Ryoma vs Inui

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I own nothing! 
> 
> ....
> 
> I forgot to add this in the previous chapter, but here it is now:  
> Italic ( _"like this"_ ) means it's spoken in English  
> Bold type + italic ( ** _"like this"_** ) means its spoken in parslemouth 
> 
> Italic might also be used in flashbacks / or dreams but it will be made clear when it's dream or flashbacks...

Hari was staring at the ceiling in the room she had been shown to and tried to fall asleep, but her mind wouldn’t calm down or shut off. She couldn’t help but go over what had happened since she had arrived in Japan, well, even before that too. 

She knew that her life had now taken a new direction, she had changed her path into something she didn’t even have the imagination to picture. Even if she was sent back to England after her visit here she knew she wouldn’t be the same Hari Potter that had been suspended from Hogwarts. She wouldn’t be the naïve little girl who believed every word Dumbledore said and breathed. She had lost the final part of herself that had anchored her to the magical world. 

She refused to think about that time, but she knew that the latest event (if she could call it that) had changed something inside of her and the betrayal from the man she had looked up to had just made her decision set in stone.

She turned on the bed and her head rested against the arm popped under the pillow. Her mind went to Rinko and Nanjiro, and she wondered what they would do. They had sent her to bed with a promise of more talks later when she was rested after her journey. They hadn’t really said anything on how they reacted to her story, and Hari wondered if she had said too much. Or perhaps too little? It was difficult to explain completely without going into the magic world and all that. 

Could she tell them about magic? Did she have anything left to lose by breaking that rule? Was it something she was willing to risk? The questions turned in her mind and she missed Hedwig. She missed her comforting presence and wished she was there, but she took comfort in knowing that she would be there soon. She was a smart owl and Hari had told her to come to her in Japan, so she would. It was just a long flight. 

 

Hari was slowly brought back to the living by the sounds coming from the house as its occupants started to rise for the day. She blinked and groggily rubbed her eyes trying to get the sleep out of them and sat up on the bed. She took a moment to try to remember where she was as she looked around in the unfamiliar room before she remembered and gasped softly. She was in Japan…she was really at Ryoma’s house. It wasn’t a dream. She had found her friend and had him back after everything. 

She got out of bed and walked to her suitcase to find clean clothes before making her way to the bathroom which was luckily free. She heard voices coming from downstairs and thought she heard Rinko’s voice calling for Ryoma. 

“Ey, Echizen!” a voice sounded from outside just as Hari descended the stairs and Hari saw Ryoma coming out of the kitchen. He paused when he saw her though. 

“Ohayo,” Hari smiled. 

“Ohayo,” he said back. “I have to go to school, but I’ll be back right after.” 

“Ok, see you,” Hari smiled and waved. 

He smiled briefly before leaving and Hari made her way into the kitchen and saw Nanako and Rinko sitting by the table while Nanjiro was seated on the floor reading the newspaper (or supposed to read the paper). 

“Ah, Hari-chan,” Rinko smiled. “Did you sleep well?” 

“Yes,” Hari smiled back not letting out the fact that she had struggled with falling asleep. She didn’t want the older woman to worry. “Thank you.” 

“Breakfast,” Nanako said and put a plate on the table and Hari realised that she hadn’t noticed the other girl getting up to find her food. 

“Thank you, Meino-san,” Hari told the girl gratefully and sat down at the table to eat. 

“You’re welcome, Potter-san,” she smiled pleasantly. 

Hari ate in silence as her mind went back to her problems and situation; she was worried and curious about what would happen to her now. She glanced up at Rinko who was reading some files and looked focused on her task. 

Hari didn’t really feel the need to fill the silence but it did feel a little strange sitting there quietly and unsure about what to do or what they expected from her. Did they expect her to go out? Or did they expect her to help around the house? Or perhaps to go back to the room that she had been given? 

She worried her lower lip as she stared down at the now empty plate and waited for something to happen. She heard the ruffling of papers and Nanjiro muttering to himself in the background. Getting tired and restless by just sitting there Hari got up and grabbed her plate and took it to the sink to wash it. She then continued to wash the rest of the dirty dishes. 

“Oh, Potter-san! You didn’t have to do that,” Nanako protested when she saw what Hari was doing. 

Rinko blinked and looked up as well. 

“It’s no problem,” Hari shrugged. “I can do it.” 

“Well, thank you,” Nanako said looking a little uncomfortable but Hari wasn’t sure why. Had she done something wrong?

“Hari-chan,” Rinko called, “can you come with me for a moment?” 

Hari nodded and followed Rinko farther into the house and into a room that looked to be an office, probably Rinko’s. She noticed that Nanjiro also had followed them and closed the door behind them. Hari couldn’t help but feel worried. 

 

“I think we need to have a talk, Hari-chan;” Rinko said kindly yet firmly and Hari gathered all of her courage and nodded. 

“Ok,” Hari said. 

Rinko smiled at her and Hari relaxed slightly when she didn’t detect any anger from the older woman and Nanjiro was also smiling from his seat. They didn’t seem upset with her, so maybe they wouldn’t kick her out just yet. 

“I need to know what you want, Hari-chan,” Rinko said leaning forward slightly as she trained her brown eyes at Hari. “You said yesterday that your aunt and uncle hoped that you won’t be back.” 

Hari nodded refusing to look away or show or anything, really. She kept her face blank as she looked back at the woman. 

“They hope that” Hari confirmed. 

“What I need to know is what do you want?” Rinko asked. 

Hari shrugged and didn’t say anything. 

“Hari-chan?” Rinko pressed. 

“I don’t want to go back;” Hari admitted quietly and clenched her hands against her thigh as she admitted her secret (or not so secret) wish. 

She looked up in time to see Rinko and Nanjiro exchange a look before they looked back at her and Hari frowned lightly. 

“Hari-chan,” Rinko said gently. “For me to be able to help you, I need to know why you don’t want to go back.” 

Hari blinked and looked at Rinko. 

“Help me?” Hari asked feeling confused. 

Rinko frowned a little and looked at Hari with a look Hari couldn’t understand, it was like she was upset over something, but Hari couldn’t understand what. 

“Yes, we want to help you,” Rinko said firmly like she was trying to make some point. 

Hari knew she should tell her why, but something was also keeping her back. Her whole plan of getting away from Britain and the magical world was starting to seem very unrealistic for her. Just what was she expecting? 

“I don’t like it there,” Hari said simply.

“And why is that?” Rinko pressed. 

Hari gave her a searching look and Rinko met her eyes without looking away or showing what she thought. Hari wondered just what she wanted to hear and if she really would help her if she asked because she had met adults who seemed to care but they all ignored the treatment she received from the Dursley’s when they saw or heard about it. 

Hari knew Mrs Weasley meant well and cared about her in her own way, she had taken her in the summer between her first and second year and treated her like one of her own. But she had dismissed it when Ron, Fred and George had told her about the bars in front of her window. Like it was normal. 

“Hari-chan,” Rinko said suddenly much closer to Hari who blinked at her seeing that she was almost within reaching distance now. She had a worried look on her face. “Why do you not want to go back to your aunt and uncle?” 

Hari looked down thinking hard about what to say or not to say. Would they think she was just whining if she told them? It wasn’t like her aunt and uncle really hurt her or anything…well apart for the occasional slap. They did put a roof over her head even when they clearly didn’t want to. They gave her food, at least enough so she would survive. 

Hari steeled herself if she wanted her plan to work out she had to tell the truth. Even if she now had second thoughts about it, she had decided and she had put everything on this plan. She couldn’t be weak and back down now! She had to tell it as it was and then live with it. If Rinko and Nanjiro couldn’t help her, she would have to think about something else. It was just how it was. 

Hari looked up again and met Rinko’s eyes with a determined look. 

“I’m just a burden and unwanted by them,” Hari said as evenly she could. “The only thing they see me as is their servant. Someone to do their chores and cook their meals, I’m not family to them. I…” 

Okay, so maybe her voice cracked a little. Hari stopped and cleared her throat as she tried to gain control over herself again. She refused to break down. She was used to this, so she shouldn’t break down just because she said the truth of her family out loud. 

“Hari-chan,” Nanjiro said and his voice was unusually serious and stern and Hari looked over at him to see the anger in his eyes and she felt like flinching away. Was he angry at her? “Did they ever hurt you?” 

Rinko glanced at her husband like she wanted to say something before looking back at Hari who was biting down at her lips as she glanced at the two adults. She hesitated. Again. She didn’t know that they took her silence as confirmation and only saw how their eyes showed anger and sadness as they looked at her. 

“Hari-chan,” Rinko brought her attention back to her. “Please, tell us the truth. I can’t help you if you’re not telling me the truth.” 

Hari swallowed and nodded, she pushed her feelings away. Like she had done so many times already. 

“Only…only sometimes,” Hari admitted. “Just a slap if I’m not respectful enough or does the chores fast enough.” 

Rinko looked so sad and upset that Hari felt a little overwhelmed. 

“I think we’ll say it’s enough for now,” Rinko said and smiled at Hari. “Thank you for telling us the truth, Hari-chan. We’ll do our best to help you. I promise.” 

Hari nodded and felt empty as she sank back in her seat. 

“Oh, it’s time to ring the bell!” Nanjiro suddenly exclaimed loudly and stood up and grinned. “Bell, bell, bell…and girls…” 

Hari watched as he rushed out of the room and couldn’t help but feel he had done that trying to break the tension in the room. Rinko chuckled a little and Hari glanced over at her to see the fond look on her face.

“He’s always like that,” Rinko said fondly. 

“I remember,” Hari said quietly. 

Rinko smiled, “what do you want to do until Ryoma gets back, Hari-chan?” 

Hari shrugged. 

“I’m sure Nanjiro would welcome you at the shrine,” Rinko said. 

Hari nodded but she wasn’t sure she wanted to go there either. She got up and smiled at Rinko.

“I think I’ll go to the room and read a little,” Hari said. 

Rinko nodded and Hari felt her watching her as she walked out of the room. She could hear Nanako in the kitchen as she walked past the room. 

 

“Hari!” Ryoma’s voice sounded making Hari look up from the book on transfiguration she was reading. She quickly put it back in her suitcase where the magic items were hidden and closed it before she walked out of the room. 

“Hai?” Hari answered just as Ryoma rounded the corner as he came up the stairs. 

“Want to come with me to practice tennis?” he asked. 

“Sure,” Hari smiled, “just let me grab my sweater.” 

Ryoma nodded and Hari quickly grabbed her sweater and pulled it over her head before pulling her auburn hair back into a messy bun to get it away from her eyes.

“Ready,” Hari smiled at Ryoma who nodded and turned to walk down the stairs. 

Hari glanced at Ryoma as they made their way through the streets toward a place where they could practice tennis. He was quiet and had a blank look on his face making her wonder a little. He had changed a little since she’d seen him last, he was more prone to smile then. 

“You didn’t have a match today?” Hari asked breaking the silence. 

“No,” Ryoma said. “I play Inui-sempai tomorrow.” 

Hari blinked and wonder who Inui was, but didn’t ask.

“What kind of games are you playing anyway?” Hari asked curiously having wondered about it since the day before. “It looked to be intense.” 

“It’s the ranking tournament,” Ryoma explained looking over at her. “It’s to choose who will become the regulars on the tennis team.” 

“Oh,” Hari said. “So the boys in the white and blue shirts are regulars?” 

Ryoma nodded, “yes.” 

“I see,” Hari said.

“Ah, there it is,” Ryoma said and she looked up at a tall building with ‘Tennis’ written on the wall pretty high up. 

 

Hari stood right outside of the cage as Ryoma was hitting the tennis balls as they came flying at him from the machine and she watched as the balls bounced off the wall as he hit it. He made the whole thing look effortless and easy, but she knew it was harder than it appeared to be. 

“Do you play anymore, Hari?” Ryoma asked as he hit a ball. 

“I haven’t played in a while,” Hari admitted sadly. “I did play a little last summer when I was home from school, but then I had to leave and I didn’t have the opportunity to play anymore.” 

“That’s too bad,” Ryoma said. “Where’s your racket? Didn’t you bring it?” 

Hari winced and was glad he wasn’t looking at her.

“No…,” she said. 

“Why?” he asked and she could tell he was frowning. 

“Dudley broke it,” Hari admitted sourly as she remembered her beloved tennis racket breaking into pieces. 

Ryoma stopped hitting the tennis balls and turned around ignoring the balls that kept coming at him as he stared at her with wide eyes. 

“Haaa? Nande?” Ryoma asked.

Hari shrugged bowing her head slightly to hide her eyes from Ryoma’s searching ones. 

“He never liked it when I had something he didn’t have,” Hari said simply before looking up again. “He never liked sports or anything like that, but he couldn’t stand that I had something I liked so he destroyed my racket. I had to borrow others when I wanted to play on the street courts after that.” 

Hari saw the anger crossing his face as he stared at her and he opened and closed his mouth without anything coming out several times. 

“We’ll need to get you a new one,” he settled on and turned back to the tennis balls and started to hit them again. 

If he hit the balls a little harder than need by then Hari didn’t comment on it as she watched him with a small smile. 

After a while Ryoma stopped hitting the balls and stepped out of the cage. Hari arched a brow at him when he held out his racket to her. She took it and felt the weight of the racket in her hand again making her smile slightly. 

“Go on,” he said and nodded toward the cage. “Try it.” 

Hari grinned and didn’t need to be asked twice before she entered the cage and heard the wired screen door close behind her with a metallic click. 

She put her coin into the machine before taking her position. She waited for a moment before the first ball comes flying toward her. 

She used her right hand to hit the ball back and grinned as she felt her racket (or Ryoma’s racket) connect with the ball and watched as it flew back toward the wall. She adjusted her hold on the racket as the next ball came before hitting the ball. 

She felt Ryoma’s eyes on her and was curious to learn what he thought, she knew she wasn’t on his level of good but she was better than the last time they had met and played. She took a step back and used a backhand to hit the next ball. 

“Ah, Ryoma-kun,” Hari suddenly heard a female voice said and she fought the need to look over her shoulders to see who it was. “You’re not playing…” 

“No,” Ryoma said shortly.

“Why?” Sakuno, Hari recognised the voice from the twin braid girl from the day before, said. 

“Hari is playing,” Ryoma said like it was obvious, which it was. 

“Oh,” Sakuno said. 

“What are you doing here?” Ryoma asked. 

Hari snorted quietly as she hit the next ball at the rude question from Ryoma. 

“Oh, um…” Sakuno stammered and Hari would bet she was blushing. “Grandma told me you might be here…” 

“So?” Ryoma asked.

“So…I just thought I wanted to come and see you…” Sakuno said. 

“Hm,” Ryoma said.

Hari smiled amusedly as she listened and felt sorry for the girl. It could be though conversing with Ryoma, sometimes you really had to drag everything out of him. Especially if he wasn’t really interested in the first place. 

_“Ryo-chan, I’m done,”_ Hari said and saw the raised brow from him when she turned to look at him. Probably because she had switched back to English again. _“Do you want to play more?”_

 _“Sure,”_ Ryoma said and opened the door accepting the racket from her. _“Don’t have too much fun.”_

 _“Whatever do you mean, Ryo-chan?”_ Hari grinned.

He snorted and closed the door again. 

_“Hello, Sakuno-chan,”_ Hari smiled at the girl who smiled timidly back. _“Nice seeing you again.”_

Hari saw the concentration on her face as she tried to translate what Hari just had said and Hari smiled amusedly. 

_“Hello, Potter-san,”_ Sakuno said. 

Hari looked away from the shy girl and over at Ryoma who was hitting balls again. She saw how he had one leg planted on the ground and used the other to move back and forth given how the ball moved. 

“Ooooh,” Hari mumbled as she saw how he didn’t move from the spot. 

“Eto,” Sakuno said breaking the silence and Hari glanced at her but saw her staring at Ryoma again. “Will I be a bother if I talk?” 

“It’s fine.” Ryoma said. 

“Ryoma-kun, why did you start playing tennis?” Sakuno asked. 

Hari sat down on the ground as she waited for Ryoma to answer Sakuno. She wouldn’t say anything as she found it too much fun to pretend that she didn’t understand what the girl was saying. 

“I forgot,” Ryoma said making Hari snort silently. 

“Huh?” Sakuno blinked. 

“When I realised it…I was playing already,” Ryoma said. “Even when I decided to quit I couldn’t.” 

“Why?” 

Hari knew why it was because he wanted to beat Nanjiro. Even when he was eight he had wanted to beat his dad, that was what he worked for after all. 

“There is always an objective,” Ryoma said. 

He closed his eyes and even Hari arched a brow when she spotted his closed eyes when he turned around slightly. Was he really going to play with his eyes closed? 

That was impressive; Hari smiled and heard Sakuno say his name like she couldn’t really believe what she was seeing. Hari could understand why, though. 

 

The three walked in silence toward the subway as the evening drew closer and Hari could tell that Sakuno was burning to ask something and was curious to see how long she managed to resist the need to ask. It was amusing to see how the younger girl would glance at Ryoma’s back and then look away before she looked back once more. 

“Ano, Ryoma-kun,” Sakuno finally broke the silence. 

“Huh?” Ryoma didn’t look at her as he made the sound.

“Can I ask you what you meant with the objective you talked about before?” Sakuno asked. 

Hari hid her smile. She had asked and now she was panicking. She saw how her eyes widened like she realised that she had asked him out loud.

“Ah, gomen ne,” Sakuno hurriedly said. “If you don’t want to answer that’s fine…” 

She sounded so lost and disappointed at the same time that Hari almost told Ryoma to answer her, but she refrained and she watched the two with a curious look. Sakuno was blushingly looking down as Ryoma started to cross the street. 

“There’s someone I want to beat up,” Ryoma said. “I want to beat him with tennis.” 

Hari glanced over at Sakuno who looked shocked by that answer as she stared at him. She was easy to read, Hari thought amused. So much fun… 

They waved goodbye to Sakuno at the subway before they started to make their way home as well. 

“You answered more of her questions that I thought you would,” Hari commented glancing at Ryoma. 

He just shrugged and yawned. 

“She seems like a good girl,” Hari continued. “A little shy and nervous, though.” 

Ryoma nodded. 

“Alright,” Hari sighed, “you’ve used up your talking abilities for today, it seems.” 

He snorted but didn’t say anything making her shake her head. 

Hari smiled to herself as she walked beside Ryoma and felt happy to be there, and despite the angst, she had felt earlier when talking with his parents she felt better now with him and more at ease. It was strange how Ryoma managed to calm her thoughts and mind. Not even Ron or Hermione managed to get her to forget what she was worried about, and they were her best friends. Well, besides Ryoma. 

That had her thinking about Ron and Hermione again and she wondered if they knew she was gone now. Had they tried writing her? Would she even get their letters if they tried writing? Would the owls manage to find her in Japan? 

Well, they shouldn’t know that she was gone yet. She had told her aunt to send a letter (that she had left behind before she left) at a certain date so she would hopefully have some time before Dumbledore or Fudge learned that she had left Britain. She wasn’t sure if that would work, but she hoped it would. 

She hadn’t told Ron and Hermione because she worried that they might go to Dumbledore and she wouldn’t risk it. She ignored the little voice in her mind that whispered that she hadn’t told because she was hurt they hadn’t written to her. 

“Where are you going?” Ryoma suddenly asked and Hari noticed that he had grabbed her wrist. 

“Um, to your place…” Hari blinked.

He arched a brow, “that’s the wrong way.” 

Hari blinked again and looked around, “oh.” 

He shook his head and she smiled a little.

 

Hari scowled again as she stared at a wall and rubbed her head. Just why did she keep walking into walls at this place? She sighed as she turned around and walked back the way she had come, or thought she had come until she stared at some trees. 

Finally she saw the tennis courts in front of her and she saw the crowd standing by the fence watching the match going on, she spotted Sakuno standing with the other girl, Tomoka. The two journalists were also there and she remembered how Nanjiro had been laughing about something that had happened with them last night. Nanako had said they had come to interview him and that Nanjiro had played a match against Inoue. 

She walked past them and the match they were watching as she looked for Ryoma and finally saw him on a different court seated on the bench getting ready. 

“Ryo-chan!” Hari called ignoring the attention she brought upon herself with the call. 

_“Hari, what are you doing here?”_ Ryoma asked. 

_“I told you I would come and watch you play,”_ Hari smiled. _“I’m curious.”_

Ryoma rolled his eyes but he nodded. 

_“You ready?”_ Hari asked. 

_“Of course,”_ Ryoma smiled. 

Hari snorted and nodded, _“I don’t know why I asked.”_

Hari glanced to the side as a tall dark haired teen with glasses that hid his eyes entered the court with a racket under his left arm. He had regular clothes on and she would bet money on that this was Inui. 

“Were you waiting?” Inui asked looking at Ryoma. 

Ryoma didn’t answer as he got up. 

 

Hari stood just outside the wire fence watching as Ryoma played Inui. She frowned slightly as Inui took the third point going up to a 30-0 lead. She narrowed her eyes and watched as Inui was again at the right place to hit the ball back over at Ryoma’s court. 

40-0

“Ne, isn’t Inui-sempai ready to hit as Ryoma returns?” one of the first years asked, Hari thought his name was Kato Kachiro. Since they were standing close by where Hari was standing she had no trouble hearing them. 

“If you see it that way…” the taller one, Mizuno Katsuo, said. 

“After all, Inui-sempai knew where Ryoma-kun will return the ball,” Kachiro said. 

“Is that possible?” Sakuno asked. 

Hari admitted that the first year was most likely correct in his assumption. To believe that someone was able to read Ryoma that well… 

“That’s impossible!” The third boy, Horio Satoshi, protested loudly. “It’s only a coincidence!” 

“That is possible,” a cool voice interrupted and Hari blinked when she noticed that one of the regulars had joined them and was now standing between where she was watching and the first years. 

Hari looked at him from the corner of her eyes and saw how Fuji Shusuke was smiling and had his eyes closed, or seemingly closed, as he looked at the match. 

“Inui knows where Echizen will hit the ball,” Fuji said and Hari noticed how he slightly turned his head toward her but she refused to look at him or show that she had noticed the attention she was now given. 

“Fuji-sempai is so cool!” Tomoka gushed. “Awesome!” 

“As usual Inui is playing a perfect game,” Fuji said still directed toward Hari who fought to keep her face blank as she watched Ryoma.

Hari frowned as she saw Ryoma barely managing to hit the ball but Inui turned his back as if he knew that the ball would not go over the net. He did know… 

“Game won by Inui,” the one who was refereeing the game called. 

 

 _“Do you think he will give up?”_ Fuji asked making Hari glance at him as he had come up close to her. 

_“Ryo-chan doesn’t know how to give up,”_ Hari smirked. 

Fuji smile widen slightly as he turned his attention back to the game, but Hari wasn’t fooled. She knew he was observing her as well, but she had no idea why he was or why he even bothered to do it. 

“Game won by Inui,” the referee called once more. “2-1.” 

Hari listened as Inui told Ryoma about his percentage of the moves Ryoma used and how he had figured out Ryoma’s play. Hari knew that it was a challenge, but it wouldn’t be that easy to cage Ryoma in and stop him from developing in the match. 

A smile crossed her lips unaware of the eyes on her as she watched Ryoma. 

“An irritating strategy,” Ryoma said. 

Hari snorted amusedly when Ryoma deliberately hit his serve at the net. 

“Did you expect that serve?” Ryoma asked. 

“I didn’t expect the fault just now,” Inui answered. 

Hari heard Fuji laugh beside her and say something about Ryoma not wanting to lose. She smiled as she thought, of course, he doesn’t. 

 

Hari watched as Ryoma continued to struggle, but she saw the determination and will to overcome this in his eyes as he played. She mostly ignored the first years talking beside her and even Fuji though mostly because she felt him trying to get a response out of her or something. She wasn’t going to respond. 

More and more students showed up to watch as well, probably because the other games were ending. 

“Mada mada dane,” Ryoma called out just as Inui was walking away from him and Hari felt her lips twitch. “It was a good decision to come to Seigaku. Now I can beat all kinds of tennis players.” 

Hari smiled fully amused at his words. He really didn’t know how to give up… 

She arched a brow when she saw him start to jump slightly and saw the wary look on Inui’s face as he took in the step. 

“I learned a new step recently,” Ryoma said. “I wanted to keep it secret and save it for Nationals, but…” 

Amazed mutterings spread among the watchers and Hari looked forward to seeing this new step of his in action. 

What a….cocky boy… Hari snorted as Ryoma told Inui where he was going to hit. Amused she chuckled out loud ignoring Fuji who glanced at her. Ryoma was amusing… 

The flow of the game changed then and she could tell that Ryoma was getting the hang of this and Inui was now struggling because Ryoma had developed during the match and therefore putting his data out of use. Or something like that, Hari thought as she watched Ryoma win game after game. 

4-4.

5-4.

Hari sweat dropped as she heard the childish (there was no other word for it) argument between the female journalist and Tomoka about Ryoma and something about calling him a prince. Seriously, what was with them? Especially the grown woman who was gushing over a 12-year-old boy… honestly, Hari found it creepy. 

Hari watched as Ryoma used his twist serve and she smiled as she saw how perfect it was, she remembered how he had talked about wanting to be able to do it when he was eight. He had not yet managed to do it but he was practising very hard. A sense of pride filled her as she saw him performing the serve and how it went up toward Inui’s glasses. 

15-0. 

The shocked gasps from the crowd filled the atmosphere around the match and Hari couldn’t help but notice the excitement that grew with the first years as they stared at Ryoma. Hmm…Hari smiled slightly as she glanced at them, the three boys were pressed as close as they could get to the fence as they stared at Ryoma with expecting eyes, while Tomoka and Sakuno were hugging and jumping up and down cheering. Looks like Ryoma had some fans… how much fun she could have with this, Hari thought. 

30-0. 

Ryoma took the position to use another twist serve and Hari glanced at Inui who had a determined look on his face as he got ready. He knew what was coming, she was sure, but would he be able to counter it? 

Hari watched as Inui took the step back and moved to get out of the way and have his racket ready to hit the ball but as the ball hit it was clear that it was harder than what he expected and he lost hold of the racket and it spun out of his hand. 

40-0. 

“If you’re playing using your data…” Ryoma said. “…then I’ll have to rise above your data.” 

Hari grinned at the cocky attitude Ryoma showed and saw that Inui was more amused than offended by it, she guessed that was lucky because she predicted that Ryoma would provoke a lot of players with his attitude as they met more players in the future. 

“Mada mada dane,” Ryoma smirked before he smashed the ball behind Inui who couldn’t do anything by stare after the ball. 

“Game set, won by Echizen, 6-4,” the referee called. 

 

Hari smiled as she watched Ryoma talk with the first years who had immediately gathered around him as he stepped off the court (after Inui who had walked off muttering to himself about the game). 

“He did it,” Fuji commented and Hari almost responded before she remembered her prank. 

Hari wondered about how loud someone could get and while she thought Ron and the twins were loud, they didn’t really compare to these freshmen (especially Tomoka), Hari thought. 

**_“A kiss between a unicorn and boggart are the answer to lives mysteries”_** a cold voice hissed and Hari stumbled slightly as her mind processed the sentence and looked around to see Kaido, the one Ryoma had played before, glare at the freshmen. She stared wide-eyed at him feeling her face burn bright and warm making her force herself to look away. Just what did he say? Did he mean to say it and why didn’t anyone react to him saying something so…stupid? 

Blushing again she tried to get away from the attention from Fuji who had opened his eyes slightly as he looked at her, why did he keep looking at her? She walked away, she had to collect her thoughts. 

She found a water station of a sort and leaned over it to splash some water on her face trying to calm herself down and cool off. Why did he have to say something like that? Did it mean…that he knew about magic? But…there was something not right about this. Something wasn’t adding up in her mind. 

After a while she stood up again and dried the remaining water off her face sighing as she forced the strange sentence out of her mind and tried to think about something else…anything else… she shook her head and turned to go back to watch Ryoma play his next match. 

He was already playing when she finally found her way back (seriously, this school was worse than Hogwarts with their maze-like paths) and saw the score was already 5-0 meaning he just had one game left before he won. She hadn’t realised she had been gone for so long.

She paused at the fence and once more found herself close to the freshmen and Fuji was glancing over at her but this time didn’t come over to her. 

He won, of course, and Hari smiled refusing to look at where Kaido was standing. 

“He’s a regular!” she heard the freshmen boys cheer and Tomoka hugged Sakuno as they both cheered. 

 

Hari stood beside Ryoma and watched as Inui lost his game against Kaido and Hari fought to not blush every time Kaido spoke. 

**_“Eat slugs and kiss me, baby,”_** again making Hari blush and almost choke.

Again she couldn’t understand why no one reacted when he said so ridiculous things. She almost asked Ryoma but her embarrassment stopped her. 

“Ochibi!” 

Hari broke out of her puzzlement as the loud cheerful voice sounded and looked up in time to see Ryoma be attacked by the bouncy redhead called Kikumaru Eiji. Kikumaru was hugging Ryoma around the neck and Hari felt her lips twitched amused as she saw the annoyance in Ryoma’s eyes yet also the resignation like he had tried before to get the overly excited teen to stop and failed. 

“You’re finally a regular!” Kikumaru beamed. “So fun, nya!” 

“Eiji! He can’t breathe!” Oishi fussed pulling at Kikumaru and true enough Ryoma gasped for breath the moment Kikumaru let go of him. 

Ryoma glared at Hari who was laughing at him. 

“Oh, your friend is here,” Kikumaru said. _“Hello, nya!”_

 _“Hi, how are you?”_ Hari asked politely with a small smile. 

Kikumaru looked a little confused before he answered, _“fine. How are you?”_

 _“I’m fine, thank you,”_ Hari answered. 

The rest of the regulars plus Inui (who Hari guessed wasn’t a regular anymore) joined them and Ryoma narrowed his eyes at them as he stepped up beside her still rubbing his throat. 

“Isn’t it about time to stop pretending?” Fuji spoke up breaking the silence that he fallen over them and the others glanced at him confused but he was staring at Hari with that smile of his and his eyes closed (didn’t he need to open them to see?). “Eh, Potter-san?” 

“What are you talking about, Fujiko-chan?” Kikumaru asked. “And why did you say it in Japanese?” 

Hari noticed the others also looking confused and some like Kawamura got a thoughtful look on their face as they looked back at her. 

“Shouldn’t you speak English, Fuji-sempai?” Momoshiro asked frowning. “You know English.” 

Hari sighed inwardly; it looked like her prank had been discovered. 

“I guess so,” Hari said and they blinked as one staring at her. “How did you guess, Fuji-san?” 

He smiled, “It looked like you understood what we were talking about during Echizen’s match against Inui.” 

Hari shrugged, “sou ka?” 

“You really can understand Japanese, nya?” Kikumaru exclaimed. 

Hari nodded. 

“Why didn’t you say so?” Momoshiro whined. “I’ve been struggling to try to learn some English!” 

Ryoma chuckled from his place next to her looking amused while Hari smirked slightly. 

“It was fun,” was all she said. 

She laughed at the looks she got. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? :) Any thoughts about what I should do with the Dursley's? 
> 
> I have still not decided on a pairing yet. It's surprisingly difficult to do. *sigh*.  
> Hari/Fuji S. 6 votes  
> Hari/Atobe. 3 votes  
> Hari/Sanada. 3 votes  
> So, it's Fuji who's the most asked for but I kind of like the other two as well... So it will remain undecided a little longer, so if you have any wishes or opinions there's still time to let me know (and hopefully help me decide). I will admit that I'm leaning between Fuji and Sanada.  
> I have decided to just have Hari and Ryoma remain friends/siblings in this story. 
> 
> Japanese words used:   
> Ohayo - good morning  
> Haaaa? - What  
> Nande? - Why  
> Ano - filler  
> Gomen ne - sorry  
> Sou ka - really? Is that so?  
> Sempai - upperclassman /a form of respect to students older than you  
> Eto - filler
> 
> Hope you liked it and thank you for reading and leaving kudos and commenting! It makes my day :D


	4. A new family?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing!

_Running._

_Panting._

_Splashing sounds as feet ran through the wet, cold floors in the large empty pipes. She was lost and she was breathing harshly. The breaths seemed so loud in her ears. Pant. Pant._

_Swish, swish._

_It was getting closer._

_Closer…_

_She had to get away. It would find her. She…_

_“Bwa-ha-ha!”_

_Laughter echoed seemingly bouncing off the wet, dark walls._

_Closer…_

_“It will get you, Potter!”_

_Closer…_

_She pressed herself against the cold wall praying to disappear._

_Swish, swish, swish…_

_Cold yellow eyes glared at her…._

Hari jerked awake all the way to a sitting position in her bed as her breathing came out in short pained breath and she felt her cheeks getting wet from both sweat and tears. Hari tried to inhaled and stop her speeding heart but the look of that being was like fixed into her brain and she couldn’t breathe. She had to breathe… 

Hari clutched the cover in her hands and the softness of the fabric actually served to calm her down a little, she stroked it as she realised that she wasn’t there anymore. She was warm and she was safe. The fabric was soft and warm, not cold and wet like the concrete walls of the pipes. She managed to inhale deeply before letting it out in a relieved exhale. 

A hand reached up and rubbed her eyes wiping away her tears against the back of her hand making her grimace at the disgusting feeling. She was relieved no one had entered her room during the nightmare because she honestly wasn’t sure how she would have reacted, nor would she like that anyone saw her like this. 

Forcing herself to get out of the warm and comfortable bed she stumbled slightly on her way to the bathroom. She cringed as she saw her too pale face with the seemingly too large green eyes staring back at her reflexion. Her eyes seemed puffy and red by the crying she had undoubtedly been doing in her sleep and her cheeks were filled with both wet and dried tear-tracks. Her few freckles seemed more prominent than they really were against her pale skin. Hari knew she was naturally pale, something she really hated, but her freckles were normally not that prominent. 

She turned the sink on and cupped her hands to gather the water before she bowed down to let the water splash her face and she felt the coldness against her skin and shivered. It was an unpleasant reminder of her nightmare, but at the same time it woke her up a little more. Her hands moved to her hair that felt wet and disgusting from sweat. 

She glanced at the clock and saw that it was nearly five in the morning. It really wasn’t any point in trying to get any more sleep so she should just get ready for the day. With that thought, she undressed and jumped into the shower letting the warm water wash over her and bring the comfort that a warm shower could bring. 

 

Hari walked back into the guest room she was sleeping in and closed the door behind her. She hesitated as she looked around the room, it was nice and better than the one she had with her aunt and uncle. For one, the furniture didn’t look like it would break down at any moment. Nor was it filled with Dudley’s broken toys. 

She walked over to the window and pushed the curtains away as she looked out of the room, it was still dark out but she could see the small sign of light starting to show at the horizon. Her mind wasn’t easily distracted anymore and she couldn’t help but think back to the nightmare. She folded her arms around herself tightly as she repressed a shiver she told herself came from the cold ignoring that it really wasn’t that cold in the room. 

Why did she still have that nightmare? She didn’t want to think about the incident that had almost killed her and her friends. She hated thinking about it, but her mind wouldn’t let her forget it. Nearly every night did she have some part of a nightmare about it. While it varied in intensity it refused to let go. 

She was letting him win by hanging on to it, Hari thought. She wasn’t going to let him win… he was gone and he couldn’t hurt her anymore. She knew that. But… what if… no, he was gone. She repeated it over and over to herself. 

“He’s gone, he’s gone, he’s gone…” 

She couldn’t stay still anymore, Hari had to get out. It was like the room was closing in on her and she felt trapped. She couldn’t stay inside…she quickly changed into a pair of sweatpants and a little too large sweater both of them Ryoma’s before she as quietly she could make her way out of the house. 

The fresh air hit her and she felt a little better, her breathing came a little easier and she rolled her shoulders trying to relax. She started to jog down the street. It was something she had found out was helpful back at Hogwarts. To go out and run or jog as she processed the dream or when she was restless like she felt right now. It helped her and made her feel better. 

It was Hermione who had suggested that she would go out and run for a bit after a nightmare if she couldn’t shake it or get it to let go. She said it might help with some physical exercise and like normal she was right. Hari had stopped, well almost stopped, arguing with Hermione, realising that the other girl normally knew what she was talking about. Sometimes she went out and ran on her own but sometimes Ron or Hermione would come with her. They wouldn’t force her to talk, but just be there. 

Hari barely noticed that it was getting lighter out before she suddenly noticed that more people were starting to emerge on the streets. She glanced at the clock and saw that it was already seven thirty and she knew Ryoma would be up by now. She was unsure if they had noticed that she wasn’t in her room anymore, but if they knew then they might be worried. She better go back. 

Only…how did she get back? Hari frowned as she found herself at a crossroads and every house looked the same. Honestly, why did it have to look the same? What should she do now? 

She walked around a little trying to find out what looked familiar, but she hadn’t really paid any attention as she ran and now she wished she had. She might then have remembered something that was familiar to her. 

“Eh? Potter-san?” 

Hari glanced up tiredly having paused and was leaning against a wall when the voice interrupted her inner panic. She saw the dunk-kid, what was his name again…oh, Momoshiro, yeah, that was it. Anyway, Momoshiro was staring at her wide-eyed and he looked to have been out to run as well. 

“Ah, Ryo-chan’s friend,” Hari said. 

“Call me Momo-chan,” he grinned easily, “but what are you doing here?” 

Hari shrugged, “I went out for a run.” 

“Ok,” Momoshiro frowned, “but…” 

“I can’t find the way back,” Hari grumbled annoyed. “The streets here all look the same!” 

Momoshiro looked way too amused to Hari’s taste, but she guessed it was amusing for others but she just wanted to go back and rest. She felt tired now and hungry, surprisingly. Her energy was pretty low. 

“I guess you would struggle when you’re new here;” Momoshiro smiled. “Why don’t you come inside for a moment and I’ll show you the way back when I’m ready for school? I’m normally picking up Echizen on my way, so it wouldn’t be any trouble.” 

Hari looked at him for a moment before she found that it really was the best solution, so she nodded and pushed away from the wall unable to hide the grimace that crossed her face.

“Are you alright, Potter-san?” Momoshiro asked. 

“I’m fine,” she said. 

He looked a little unsure but nodded and let her dismiss the question like that. She was glad he didn’t press it. She didn’t feel like going into her problems with him or anyone, really. 

“Ah, Takeshi,” a woman said before stopping when she spotted Hari standing behind Momoshiro. 

“This is a friend of Echizen,” Momoshiro said when he saw where who Hari guessed to be his mother given the similarities was looking. “Potter Hari.” 

“Yoroshiku;” Hari bowed politely. 

“Ah, nice to meet you too,” the older woman said. “I’m Momoshiro Rio.” 

“She’ll wait for me and I’ll walk her back to Echizen’s place,” Momoshiro said. 

Hari knew she was blushing as she once more explained that she was lost and the older woman smiled kindly at her and told her to come into the kitchen. Hari followed despite the uncomfortableness that had her really wanting to turn and flee. Momoshiro had run up the stairs to change leaving her alone with his mother. 

Soon two younger kids entered the kitchen already dressed in their school uniforms and gave her curious looks. Momoshiro Rio introduced them as her two youngest children, Miku and Rin. Miku was a 7-year-old girl while Rin was a 9-year-old boy, both looking quite similar to their big brother, but didn’t act as loud and boisterous as him. 

“Here,” Momoshiro Rio said and put a plate of food in front of Hari making her blink. 

“Oh, um, thank you,” Hari said shyly. 

“You’re welcome.” 

Hari watched as the family chatted and soon Momoshiro bounced into the kitchen again and quickly grabbed his food before plopping down on the free seat. He was talking to his younger siblings right away and had them laughing before Hari really understood why they did. She liked it, though. It was something about this family that reminded her of the Weasley’s, only they weren’t as many. 

“Alright,” Momoshiro said after gulping down his glass of milk. “Let’s go.” 

Hari nodded and got to her feet. She turned toward Momoshiro Rio who was smiling at them. 

“Thank you for the food,” Hari bowed. 

“It’s no problem;” the woman smiled. “Come back anytime, Potter-san.” 

Hari smiled and wondered that she might just do that, but she wouldn’t promise anything. She followed Momoshiro out and saw him grabbing the bike that was leaned against the house wall. 

“Care to sit on the back?” Momoshiro asked looking at her.

Hari eyed it before she shrugged and nodded. She jumped on and held onto Momoshiro as he started to bike down the streets. She felt the wind against her face and the small thrill that came with the speed even though she wished he would go faster. 

“Oy! Echizen!” Momoshiro called making Hari realised that they were back to where she was supposed to be. 

She jumped off the bike and gave him a smile, “Arigatou, Momo-chan.” 

He grinned widely at her for some reason she couldn’t understand but she just shrugged and turn toward the gate leading up to the house. She had barely opened the door when a slightly ruffled Ryoma exited. 

“Hari!” He exclaimed when he saw her and she saw the many emotion that crossed his face. “You’re back! Seriously, where did you go? Do you have any idea how worried I was? Gah, Hari!” 

Hari grimaced guiltily, “I’m sorry, Ryo-chan.” 

He sighed and looked at her before he frowned, “what’s wrong with you?” 

“Nothing,” Hari muttered. 

He frowned at her again and well, Hari thought it looked more like a pout and he looked adorable like that, but she wisely didn’t say anything. Hah, Hermione, look she does know when to keep her mouth shut, she thought. 

“We’ll talk later,” he said, “I have to go to school. Oyaji and okaa-san are inside discussing where to start to look for you.” 

Hari almost wished she could go with Ryoma and Momoshiro (who was looking at them curiously), but she just nodded and waved at them. She sighed; this was not a good start on her day. 

 

Hari sighed as she looked at the map, Rinko had told her to study it and that she had to learn how the neighbourhood looked if she was going to go out and run by herself. It wasn’t like it was unreasonable of her to ask this, but Hari really didn’t think it would help. The map was just as confusing as the actual roads. 

“Hari-chan,” a lazy teasing voice sounded and Hari looked up to see Nanjiro grinning down at her. 

“Hai?” Hari looked at him. 

“Come with me,” he said and she gladly put the map away and got back to her feet to follow the older man out of the house and soon realised that they were headed for the shrine. She wondered why he had come back to the house to get her. 

Rinko had left for work and Nanako had classes at her college so Hari had been on her own at the house, well besides Karupin. She smiled at how cute Ryoma’s cat was, and she thought he was totally different from Crookshanks, who was not as friendly as Karupin. 

“Here,” Nanjiro interrupted her thoughts about Hermione’s cat with pushing what Hari realised was a tennis racket into her hand. She blinked at it before looking back at the older man. “Let’s play.” 

“I haven’t really played much,” Hari admitted.

“Ryoma said so,” Nanjiro said, “but you’ll pick it up again with practice. Furthermore…I’m bored and the brat is away at school so I don’t have anyone else to play with.” 

Hari stare at him for a moment before she shrugged and walked over to the side of court she would use and saw the smirk on his face, she probably should be worried. He tossed the ball and served the ball toward her with a harsh and precise move causing the ball to fly past her without her having time to react. Yes…she definitely should be worried, but a smile was crossing her lips as she adjusted her grip on the racket and stared at Nanjiro. 

“Just a wakeup call,” he said. “What kind of handicap do you want?” 

“None!” Hari said determinedly. 

“Oh,” Nanjiro smiled lazily. “Alright, if you are sure…” 

Hari nodded knowing it was a bad choice, but she didn’t feel right to play against him with a handicap. She wanted to test herself against him like Ryoma did. 

Hari missed yet another ball and grumbled slightly as she pushed up from the dirt to glare determinedly at Nanjiro who looked entirely too relaxed on the other side of the net. She rolled her shoulder slightly as she got into position once more. She watched as he tossed the ball up and then hit it with his racket; she just managed to get her own racket up in time and felt the ball connect to the racket. She gritted her teeth when she felt it was harder than she thought, but she managed to hit the ball back. 

Nanjiro hit the ball with ease and Hari ran to the other side to reach the ball before it went over the line, she reached it and managed to hit it back much to her surprise, but she did notice that Nanjiro didn’t even move from his spot as he hit the ball again and this time she wasn’t fast enough to hit it. 

“One more time!” she said. 

He smiled. 

 

“You look like you’ve been run over,” Ryoma’s voice sounded making Hari open an eye to glare at him. She closed her eyes again and put an arm over her eyes and mumbled something. 

“Sorry, I didn’t catch that,” Ryoma said. 

“Your dad is trying to kill me,” Hari muttered. “I’m sure of it.” 

Ryoma arched a brow, “oh?” 

“Why didn’t you say he was merciless when he plays tennis?” Hari whined.

She grimaced as she forced herself to sit up and felt the sore muscles and her arms felt like they would fall off. 

“You already knew that” Ryoma pointed out sitting down at the free chair by her bed and she stuck out a tongue at him making him give her a look, “so mature, Hari.” 

“I thought so,” Hari sniffed but her lips twitched. “You had fun at school?” 

“Schools boring,” Ryoma said, “but tennis practice was alright.” 

Hari snorted but nodded in understanding. 

“So, what’s wrong with you?” Ryoma asked bluntly. 

Hari looked at him. “Why do you think something is wrong with me?” 

“Hari,” was all he said as he looked at her. 

She rolled her shoulders and looked away from him. She didn’t want to lie to him, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to tell him either. She wasn’t ready to talk to him about it because it meant that she would have to tell him about magic and what if he didn’t react well? 

“I’m not ready to talk about it, Ryo-chan,” Hari said looking back at him to see the scowl on his face. “Please, just… give me some time.” 

He sighed but nodded. She smiled slightly and reached out to ruffle his hair making him lose his cap at the same time. He swatted her arm away with a glare and she couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her as she saw his expression. 

He did smile a little as he grabbed his cap once more from the floor and put it back on, she just smiled back at him and settled on the bed to talk more with her best friend. They had a lot to catch up on and in some way also get to know each other once more. 

 

“Wow, look at you,” Hari said when she saw Ryoma entering the house and wearing the white and blue jacket that signalled that he was part of the regulars. “Very handsome.” 

“Hari,” he grumbled and Hari grinned as she saw him blush. 

“You finally got your jacket,” Hari said deciding to drop it right now as she took a closer look at her best friend wearing the regular jacket. It was something she knew meant more to him than he would admit and it did look very good at him. Perhaps a little big, but he would grow into it. “Congratulations.” 

“Thank you,” Ryoma said smiling slightly. 

“So, you’ve been a regular for a week now, right?” Hari said leaning against the table in the kitchen as he grabbed a glass of milk grumbling about Inui telling him to drink more milk. 

“Shorty,” Hari teased when she picked up on the grumble and laughed when he glared at her. 

“You’re not one to talk,” Ryoma muttered. 

“Perhaps,” Hari smiled, “well? It’s a week since you became a regular?” 

“Yeah,” Ryoma nodded. 

“That means I’ve been here for nine or ten days already,” Hari mused as she looked out of the window missing the way Ryoma looked at her. She sighed, “I wonder…” 

She trailed off as she thought back to her friends at Hogwarts. Did they know she was gone now? Did they realise that she had left the Dursley’s yet? She also thought it should be time for Hedwig to come soon; she was starting to get worried about her most faithful companion. It shouldn’t take her that long to come to Japan, to find her. Had something happened to her? Hari really hoped not. 

“It does seem longer than that,” Ryoma commented effectively bringing her out of her mind once more. She looked back at him and smiled slightly, “I hope you’ll stay.” 

Hari felt a warmth spread as he admitted to wanting her to stay. It had been good days for Hari, being here had her relaxed in a way she hadn’t felt in what felt like years. Days spent around people who were genuinely interested in her and cared for her, while Ryoma was at school she would read in her magic books or play tennis with Nanjiro who was bored at the shrine. When Ryoma came back she would either watch him practice tennis or just talk with him, had him tell her about his tournaments in America before they moved back to Tokyo. 

 

It was later that day that Rinko and Nanjiro once more asked her to join them in the office and this time Ryoma was home, but he didn’t come with them. She pushed back the nerves as she followed them into the office and sat down once more. 

“Don’t look so scared, Hari-chan,” Nanjiro teased. “We’re not going to eat you.” 

He laughed and Hari smiled slightly before trying to relax. 

“Hari-chan,” Rinko started and leaned forward so she could look Hari in the eyes. “We’ve talked about it and I’ve done some research and given the situation and the recount of your life with your aunt and uncle we have looked into the option of adopting you.” 

Hari blinked and blinked as she stared at Rinko unable to form words as she opened and closed her mouth. They wanted to adopt her? Was that even possible? 

“I know it’s rather sudden and maybe also a little too fast,” Rinko said, “but we do really want to have you in our family, Hari-chan. You’ve already settled into our daily routine and Ryoma is more open with you here.” 

“You…” Hari trailed off unsure and lost for words. 

“I could use another tennis rival,” Nanjiro added with a smirk. 

“Dear,” Rinko sighed exasperatedly. 

“But…how…” Hari felt so confused and hopeful that she wasn’t sure what to do with herself or who to look at. All she could think was that this had to be a dream. This couldn’t be happening… 

“I’m a lawyer, Hari-chan,” Rinko reminded her kindly, “so I pulled some strings and I have the paperwork ready.” 

“So…” Hari blinked her hands fisted in her lap. 

“If you agree then we would go ahead and put the paperwork forward and start the process of adopting you,” Rinko said. 

Hari felt her mind spinning as she looked between the Echizen’s and tried to process the idea of being adopted by Ryoma’s parents. That would mean that they would have a legal right to her and it would protect her against the Wizards should they find her, that had been something she had worried about. 

“Would it be that easy?” Hari had to ask even as she feared the answer. Nothing in her life was that easy. 

“Most likely,” Rinko said. “I will go to England and meet your aunt and uncle, Hari-chan. If they sign the papers giving up their rights to you, then the adoption will go through without much resistance.” 

Hari felt a spark of hope, a stronger spark than before. Surely they would love to get rid of her and sign, right? 

“If…if not...?” Hari asked. 

Rinko got more serious and Hari saw her exchange a look with her husband who had been surprisingly silent as they had talked. 

“Hari-chan,” Rinko said, “I won’t lie to you. If they refuse to sign the papers it will be more difficult. There are still options, but we will need you to tell us more about the treatment you received from them and put it in a lawsuit. You might also be required to testify against them in a court of law.” 

Hari swallowed and felt cold just at the thought of having to do that, she didn’t want to. She didn’t want everyone to know… She couldn’t handle it. 

“We’ll deal with it if it happens, Hari-chan,” Rinko said smiling at her reassuringly, “I will do my best to get them to sign the papers so it won’t be necessary.” 

Hari nodded. 

“So,” Rinko suddenly looked a little nervous. “Do you want us to adopt you, Hari-chan?” 

Hari stared at them unable to say anything as she did. It was so hard because of all the emotions going through her body as she realised that her dream, the thing she had always hoped for as she had been locked up in that cupboard was finally within reach. But…was it real? Did they really want her to join their family?

She had hoped they would let her stay when she got there, she had hoped that they wouldn’t tell her to go back to England. Not in her wildest dreams or imaginations had she dared to even think about the possibility of them actually wanting to adopt her. Adoption was final, it was not something anyone would do easily or could change their mind about. 

“You really want me?” she whispered unable to keep the burning question inside. 

“Of course,” Rinko smiled at her tears in her eyes. “You’re a very special girl, Hari-chan.” 

Nanjiro nodded and smiled widely at her but didn’t’ say anything.

“And Ryo-chan…” Hari was scared he didn’t want this, scared he would resent her for sharing his parents with her. 

“He wants this too, Hari-chan,” Nanjiro said. “We have already talked to him about it.” 

Hari stared at them for a long moment before she nodded her head slowly unable to keep the tear from dropping from her eyes. 

“I want you to adopt me,” Hari said. 

 

Hari smiled softly to herself as she left the office unable to really believe what had just happened. Was it really true? They wanted to adopt her, the little-unwanted girl beneath the stairs. It was surreal and Hari couldn’t wrap her mind around it, but she would do her best. She was going to do her best to be a good…what would she be to them? Daughter? Charge? Well, whatever she would be, she would be the best. 

She went to find Ryoma, she had to see him. She had to tell him and see if he really was okay with it. If he wasn’t okay with it, then she wouldn’t do it. She entered his room to find him reading a book with Karupin curled up on the bed next to him. 

“Ryo-chan,” Hari called his attention her voice slightly uneven and he glanced up from his book. He immediately put it down and got to his feet. She didn’t say anything as her words seemed to have disappeared again.

“Well?” he asked impatiently. “Did they ask you already or not?” 

Hari snorted pulled out of her insecurities as he looked at her hopefully. 

“They did,” she nodded and smiled. 

“Great! So, you’re going to accept, right?” Ryoma asked, “because that would be the best choice! You’re one of us already so, of course, you’re going to become an Echizen!” 

Hari laughed feeling relieved and rather stupid to have doubted how Ryoma would react. 

“Of course,” Hari grinned, “besides, you’ll be my little brother for real then.” 

He blinked and then pouted, “Why do you have to be the oldest?” 

Hari grabbed him in a headlock and ruffled his hair with her free hand even as he fought her hold, she felt so much better as she suddenly found herself wrestling with Ryoma. He somehow managed to make her lose her balance and fall down at the floor pulling him with her and they fell tangled together on the floor both of them laughing. 

“You really sure you don’t have a problem with your parents adopting me, Ryo-chan?” Hari asked when they calmed down and she sitting up on the floor. 

“Baka,” he said. “Of course I want that.” 

Hari smiled and before she could think about it anymore she hugged him, she didn’t care that it meant that they fell back on the floor with Hari on top of Ryoma who hugged her back even as he grunted at the force she hit him with. She couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her, even if it sounded suspiciously very much like a sob. 

 

“So, you’ll start Seigaku with Ryoma,” Nanjiro said the next day and seeing that it was a Saturday Ryoma was standing beside her. “If there’s not another school you rather want to go to, of course.” 

“No, I want to go to Seigaku,” Hari said quickly. She couldn’t even think about attending another school than the one Ryoma went to. She had come here to be closer to him after all. She glanced over at Ryoma who smiled but didn’t say anything. 

“That’s great, because I have already talked to the school and registered you as one of their students,” Nanjiro said without a trace of shame. 

“Oyaji,” Ryoma sighed. 

“Brat,” Nanjiro gave his son a look before looking back at Hari. “You start on Monday.” 

Hari inhaled deeply before she nodded trying to gather her thoughts and feelings about this, it was happening so fast. It felt almost unreal and unbelievable as she realised that she had already been registered for school. Oh, how was she supposed to be handling Muggle School? She was suddenly very happy she had joined Hermione in some of her individual studies for her muggle school back at Hogwarts. Hermione had said she didn’t want to lose touch with the muggle world completely, and Hari had decided to join her. So, hopefully, that would be enough so that she had something to build on. Otherwise, she had no idea what to do. 

Hari watched the school as Monday arrived and she sighed softly as she realised that this was really happening. She was starting Seigaku and Ryoma was just a few steps ahead of her with Momoshiro who had looked confused than happy when he realised that she was going to start school with them. He hadn’t stopped chatting the whole way there and Hari kind of wished he would shut up so she could think, but on another note, the chatting was a welcomed distraction from her overly imaginary mind. 

“Hari, come on,” Ryoma called out impatiently and she took a deep breath before she walked up to her friend ready to start a new school. She could hope that this would be different from Hogwarts, right? Right. Of course, it would be. She was with Ryoma. Everything would be fine. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, a lot kind of happened in this chapter. Let me know what you think :) 
> 
> About the adoption: I have no clue about how the legal aspects works or anything like that. So, this is just how I want it to go because it's a fanfiction and not real life. So, I make the decisions to make it easier for me as a writer. I'm sure that in real life it would be much more complicated and harder to do, but...this is the beauty of fiction. I can make decisions that fit my story. :) 
> 
> Next chapter will be more Seigaku, I promise. This was just necessary to get her to the point where she's starting the school :) I have also decided to wait for a little to decide what the pairings will be. 
> 
> Last note; I have (FINALLY) finished the 178 episodes of the first Prince of Tennis! YAY! I loved it! (Though, I'm not so sure I like the fact that Ryoma moved back to America for US Open. So, not sure I'll keep that in this fiction. We'll see if I get that far into the story.) Anyway, I've finally started the Nationals! Not that far into it yet, but so far it's very promising and so many new characters... :) Hurrah!
> 
> Japenese words used:  
> Yoroshiku - Nice to meet you  
> Arigatou - Thank you  
> Oyaji - Old man/ dad  
> okaa-san - Mum  
> Hai - yes  
> Baka - stupid/ fool


	5. First week at Seigaku

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing! 
> 
> ... 
> 
> ...
> 
>  
> 
> **  
> _"parslemouth"_  
>  **  
> _"English"_  
>  _-flashback or letter-_

Hari followed behind the teacher that had introduced himself as Kawaguchi Kaede and would be her homeroom teacher. Hari guessed that meant that he was like McGonagall for her here, but he didn’t look as strict as her. He was also considerably younger and looked to be just into his thirties. 

“Wait here for a moment,” he smiled at her making Hari nod as she paused just outside the door to the classroom for class 2-8. She could hear the chatter from inside the room die down as Kawaguchi cleared his throat to get their attention. 

It was always scary to meet new people and she hoped that they would be nice, it sounded childish in her mind, but that was what she hoped for. Nice. She wasn’t going to let them intimidate her, she told herself. She was going to get a fresh start and actually meet new people, Ryoma was somewhere in the building and she knew she could find him later. She wasn’t alone even if she was in a different class. 

Suddenly she was aware that the door opened and she saw Kawaguchi arch a brow at her and she realised she had spaced out and probably missed him calling for her. 

“You ready?” he asked. 

“Yes, sensei,” Hari nodded and took a step into the classroom. 

Hari looked at the class and saw that it was a mix of boys and girls and they were all looking at her curiously as she followed the teacher to the front. 

“This is your new classmate, Echizen Hari,” Kawaguchi introduced. “Echizen-san, why don’t you tell the class something about yourself?” 

Hari wondered if it was possible to get away with pranking the teacher as she inwardly winced at the request. She really didn’t want to talk in front of that many people. She sighed before she bowed politely to the class. 

“Hello, I’m Echizen Hari,” she said calmly, “I’m 13 years old and just moved here from England. I’m not really that interesting, so… well, nice to meet you.” 

Hari looked up and saw Momoshiro grin at her but a confused look on his face as he looked at her had her realise that he did know her other last name and probably was confused to why she suddenly was called Echizen. She gave him a look and he nodded reading her ‘I’ll explain later’ correctly. 

She then noticed the other familiar person in the room and realised that Kaido was in this class as well, he looked like he was angry as he stared at her and she briefly wondered if she had offended him in some way before pushing the thought away. 

“Well, Echizen-san,” Kawaguchi said, “please take a seat next to Momoshiro-san.” 

Hari nodded before the teacher could ask Momoshiro to show who he was making some of the others to start to whisper as they looked at her. 

“Echizen-san,” Momoshiro grinned, “I think I have your name wrong.” 

Hari smiled back at him as she sat down in the free seat. “It changed.” 

Hari saw the considering look before she looked back at the teacher who called for attention again and started the lesson in literature.

 

Hari yawned and stretched as the day was over and she had gotten through the classes and survived. It felt good, but she really did need something to help her catch up to the curriculum because it was not anything she had been through before. It wasn’t anything similar to what she had been taught at Hogwarts, and well, even if she had been attending a muggle school in England she would struggle because they were sure to have different classes. Hari sighed softly at the thought, but she was sure she would manage. Somehow. She always did. 

“So, Echizen-san,” Momoshiro said making her glance over at him to see the curious look on his face, she also noticed that Kaido had turned his attention toward her. She had managed to postpone their probing at the new name during the breaks and she knew that it was not likely to be able to avoid it anymore. It didn’t mean she wouldn’t…tease them, though. “What’s with the name change?” 

She shrugged and grabbed her bag before getting up. 

“What are you talking about?” Hari smirked at him. “Name-change? I don’t know what you mean.” 

He scowled and Hari turned to walk out of the classroom to find Ryoma and perhaps watch him as he practised tennis. 

“Hey!” Hari yelped when she suddenly found her arm grabbed and then pulled at making her stumbled as she was forced to follow Momoshiro through the corridors. 

**_“Rainbows and flowers is a great combination,”_** Hari heard and almost lost her footing as she turned wide eyes to her left to see Kaido following with a scowl. Her mouth opened and closed as she again wondered what was wrong with him. Why did he go and say so…so random things? Rainbows and flowers? Seriously? 

“Eh? Momo?” 

“Wait, isn’t that…” 

Hari noticed some of Ryoma’s friends from the tennis club, Kikumaru and Fuji she thought, as she was being dragged through the halls to wherever Momoshiro had decided to take her. She grumbled slightly but didn’t try to break free from the hold on her arm as the two also joined them on their way to…wherever. 

“Saa,” Fuji said after a moment, “why are you pulling Potter-san after you like that?” 

Momoshiro didn’t answer as he stalked down the stairs making Hari yelp as she almost stumbled and lost her balance. She would have if not for Fuji who reached out to steady her. He smiled pleasantly with his eyes closed when she looked at him. 

“Oi, Echizen!” 

Hari heard a loud voice yell and glance over to see one of the first year boys with the unibrow point at her but look at who she realised was Ryoma over his shoulder. Ryoma who blinked and then had the nerve to look amused. 

She also realised that they were on the tennis court and the rest of the regulars and most of the club was already there including an older woman in a pink training suit. 

“Hari,” Ryoma said looking at her then looking at Momoshiro who finally let go of her. 

Hari scowled at him before she rushed over to Ryoma and placed him between herself and Momoshiro.

“You’re teammate is scary, Ryo-chan,” Hari whined dramatically, “he kidnapped me.” 

“I didn’t kidnap you!” Momoshiro protested. 

“You did,” Kaido said. 

“Eh, what did you say, mamushi?” Momoshiro growled turning to face Kaido who was already ready for a fight. 

Ryoma glanced at Hari over his shoulder and arched a brow at her, “I thought you were supposed to be the older one?” 

Hari stuck her tongue out at him but stepped out from behind him, “doesn’t mean you shouldn’t protect me against kidnapping peaches.” 

Ryoma snorted. 

“Why did you drag Potter-san here, Momo?” Oishi asked with a worried frown. 

Momoshiro and Kaido stopped arguing and turned toward them. 

“And why is Potter-san wearing our school uniform, nya?” Kikumaru asked his head tilted to the side curiously. 

Ryoma looked at Hari who just smiled innocently. 

“Echizen-san,” Momoshiro stressed the name, “started in our class today.” 

Hari almost laughed at the way the others blinked and turned to look at her eyes round and unbelieving as they did. She pushed away the unsettled feelings she got at being the centre of attention. 

“Eh?” 

“Echizen?!” 

Hari heard Ryoma sigh and glanced at him to see the tired look on his face. She reached out to pinch his cheek. “Don’t look like that, Ryo-chan! You’d think it was a bad thing.” 

He reached up and swatted her arm away before rubbing his cheek while glaring at her. 

“I told you,” Hari said looking over at Momoshiro, “it changed.” 

She paused. 

“Or, it will change,” she corrected, “so, to make it easier I just told the teacher to call me that.” 

“I’m confused,” Kikumaru sighed with a pout. 

“You’re not the only one,” Inui said while scribbling in his notebook. “As far as I know Echizen doesn’t have a sister and there’s nothing that indicates a cousin that’s from England. He also clearly introduced her as his friend Potter Hari from Surrey, England.” 

Hari blinked at him.

“Do you make note of everything?” she asked curiously. 

“Saa,” Fuji spoke up still smiling and looked like this was an everyday occurrence. “Why don’t you tell us what’s going on, Potter-san?” 

Hari scowled at him, “didn’t I just say my name will change. I’m going to be Echizen Hari.” 

“But not yet,” Fuji said. 

Hari looked away from him and her eyes landed on the older woman who had been silent until now but she saw the calculating look in her eyes. 

“Hari is getting adopted by my parents,” Ryoma decided to explain and Hari felt a spark of warmth in her chest just hearing the words. “And that’s why she’s started Seigaku today as well.” 

“Really,” Kawamura said his voice kind and Hari looked over at him to see him smiling at her looking sincerely interested. 

“Hai,” Hari nodded but didn’t elaborate. She didn’t feel like going into the details and she wasn’t one to spill her secrets and home life to strangers. “So, Ryo-chan is my little brother now!” 

“I’m not!” Ryoma protested.

“I’m the oldest, so you’re my little brother,” Hari grinned. 

“That doesn’t matter!” Ryoma pouted, um, glared. “I’m more mature.” 

“Shorty,” Hari shot back, “I’m the oldest.” 

“I’ve never seen Ryoma-kun like that,” Kachiro Kato commented to the other two first years. Hari could hear them, but she decided against saying anything about it. 

“Huh,” the woman said before smiling at her. “I’m Ryuzaki Sumire, the coach of Seigaku tennis club.” 

“Echizen Hari,” Hari bowed, “nice to meet you.”

“Nanjiro really adopted a kid,” Ryuzaki said a little stunned. “Who would have guessed?” 

Hari shrugged. She knew Nanjiro wasn’t really the kind you would guess to adopt anyone, but he was a dedicated father whatever anyone else said. Hari knew he had given up on his first dream and was now focusing on his new dream that was Ryoma. Even if Ryoma tried to deny it. 

“Why change the name?” Horio asked. 

Hari glanced over at him before she shrugged carelessly as her mind went back to the day they talked about the adoption and the name had been brought up. 

 

_-Flashback-_

_“What do you want to do about your name, Hari?” Rinko asked._

_“My name?” Hari’s brows furrowed confused._

_“Do you want to keep Potter or do you want to change it to Echizen?” Rinko clarified. “You can legally change your name when you’re adopted. We will understand if you wish to keep Potter, but you’re welcome to change it to Echizen as well.”_

_Hari blinked and looked at Rinko before looking over at Nanjiro who was grinning at her._

_“I…” Hari frowned slightly. Did she want to change her name? Potter was her parents' name and it was a connection to them. Should she keep it as a sign of respect to them? They did die to save her, and Hari would always respect their sacrifice and look up to them for that. Though, changing her name didn’t really mean she wouldn’t feel the same for her parents because of it._

_Changing her name would give her a fresh start and she would be seen as one of them, she wanted that. She wanted to be part of that family and that meant sharing the name, right? Would her parents resent her for wanting to change her name? Would they understand?_

_“I want to change my name,” Hari said determinedly and looked up to meet their eyes._

_-End flashback-_

 

Hari knew she had made the right decision. She had thought about it a lot since then and she also realised something she hadn’t thought about when she had made the decision. She would gain more protection against the wizarding world. They would be looking for a Potter, not an Echizen. 

“Why not,” Hari said. 

She walked to the side and stood outside the fence when Ryuzaki called for the practice to start again. She met Ryoma’s eyes and shook her eyes when she saw the question in them, she wouldn’t join them. Not right away because she wasn’t ready yet.

Watching them practice was really an eye opener for Hari. They really gave their all and she felt determined as she saw the skills in each of the regulars. It was clear that they were very good and she wanted to get to their level. The feeling of excitement and determination filled her as she watched Fuji calmly return a ball against one of the non-regulars making him gape. 

 

Hari walked away from the practice and made her way to the place where she had gone with Ryoma to play tennis before. She wanted to play, she wanted to hold a racket and feel the ball bounce off it. She was slightly surprised when she actually found the place only getting lost once. 

She rented a court and a racket before walking to the assigned place and opened the door and stepping into the court. She remembered Ryoma showing her how the machine worked and put the coins into the slot before taking her place. 

The first ball came and she swung her racket hitting the ball and watched as it bounced off the wall. She continued and did it over and over and over and over again. 

Her shirt was getting wet with sweat and she wiped her brow with the back of her hand as she breathed hard, but she still kept hitting the balls that came flying at her. 

Finally the machine stopped and she sat down on the court feeling her breath coming out quickly and stared at the many balls surrounding her on the court. She blinked because it was much more than she thought and she groaned at the thought of having to put the balls back. 

She got up and started to gather the balls as she thought about the changes in her life, and she really hadn’t predicted that her life would change this much by leaving to see Ryoma. She knew that Rinko probably would meet eagerness from the Dursley’s at the prospect of getting rid of her for good, and in some way, Hari did feel bad about that. Petunia was her mum’s sister and it hurt to know that she didn’t want anything to do with Hari, Lily’s daughter, though, for the most part, Hari felt relieved just thinking about the chance to be free from them and actually have a chance of a new family. 

 

Hari watched Ryoma play with Nanjiro at the same time she was reading the book she had been told to read by Kawaguchi-sensei. Yet, her attention was often drawn from the book to Ryoma’s struggle against his father who didn’t even look to be affected by the match. 

“Where did you go today, Hari?” Ryoma asked bringing Hari’s attention back from the book. 

“Hm?” Hari blinked. 

“You disappeared from watching us practice,” Ryoma said and Hari realised he had stopped playing and both he and Nanjiro was looking at her now. 

“Oh,” Hari said. “Well, I just took a walk.” 

“A walk,” Ryoma looked as disbelieving as he sounded.

“Yes, you know, putting a foot in front of the other,” Hari said with a smirk, “that kind of walk.” 

Nanjiro laughed and ruffled Ryoma’s hair before doing the same to Hari who grumbled. 

“I know you didn’t just go for a walk,” Ryoma gave her a look as he dodged Nanjiro’s arm. “So, where did you go?” 

“I went to practice tennis,” Hari sighed knowing better than to lie to him. “I went to that practice court we went to last time.” 

“Oh,” Ryoma said. “You could have joined us at school.” 

“I’m not part of the Tennis Club,” Hari shrugged.

“Then join,” Ryoma said. 

“I will, but not yet,” Hari said and smiled at him when he frowned. “I just want to get better first and get used to being here before I join anything.” 

“Ok,” Ryoma sighed. 

 

“Good job, Ryo-chan,” Hari smiled and tipped his cap down into his eyes. 

“Hari,” he whined and she grinned. 

Hari had watched the regulars’ practice again feeling the intensity in their play and realised that she had a lot to work on to get to that point where she was ready to join the Tennis Club, even if it was the girls she would have to join. She hadn’t really watched them play because she liked watching Ryoma much better, but she was sure they were good as well. 

“Ah, Echizen,” both Hari and Ryoma turned toward the speaker who turned out to be Momoshiro. 

He blinked before laughing. 

“I think we need to do something about that,” he said and the others behind him nodded.

“Call me Hari,” Hari said with a shrug, “I’m used to being called by my first name.” 

“Saa, Hari-chan,” Fuji smiled. “You’re back watching Echizen play tennis?” 

“Yup,” Hari nodded, “I always liked watching Ryo-chan play tennis.” 

“She did,” Ryoma nodded. 

Just then Hari caught sight of something white coming flying toward her and before she could really blink she was being bombarded by a white owl. She stumbled back slightly as she ducked and turned to look for the snow-owl that came back toward her. 

“Oy! Watch out!” 

“Is that an owl, nya?” 

“Saa…” 

Hari held out her arm and smiled when Hedwig landed on her shoulder making Hari lower her arm as she felt the talons dig into her shoulder perhaps a little harder than normal. She then started to nibble at Hari’s loose strands of hair and make soft cooing sounds. 

“Are you seeing what I’m seeing?” Hari heard Momoshiro ask.

“Burning! An owl!” Kawamura suddenly yelled startling both Hari and Hedwig (who gave a startled cry) making Hari wince as it was directly into her ear, and look over at the third year. Ah, he had a tennis racket in his hand (who had given him that?) and that explained the yelling. Hari did find it fascinating to watch how he changes personality by holding a racket. 

“Nya, nya!” Kikumaru jumped up and down, “I’ve never seen an owl up close before, nya! So, cool!” 

Hari saw that Fuji’s eyes were actually opened revealing beautiful blue eyes as he stared at Hedwig. Wait, why did she think beautiful…quickly she pushed the thought away and assured herself that it was just shock of actually seeing a response from the boy that had her think that. 

Even Tezuka blinked a few times as he watched rather stoically from his spot beside Oishi who looked fascinated and like he wanted to start fussing over something, but Hari wasn’t sure what. 

Kaido looked like his scowling self, but Hari could see a spark of interest in his eyes as he stared at Hedwig. 

“Ah,” Hari smiled reaching up to stroke her white feathers. “This is Hedwig.” 

“Hedwig?” Momoshiro repeated. “It’s yours?” 

Hari frowned at him as Hedwig gave an offended squeal, “Hedwig is a girl, just so you know, and yeah, she’s mine. She was a present from a friend when I turned 11. She’s been with me ever since.” 

Ryoma hadn’t said anything and Hari glanced at him to see him blink and stare at Hedwig who turned back to stare at him with her yellow eyes. 

“Saa, why are Echizen looking like he never seen her before?” Fuji asked. 

“Because I haven’t;” Ryoma said without taking his eyes off Hedwig. 

“No, when I left Surrey I told her to come to find me in Tokyo,” Hari explained. “So, she’s been making her own way here.” 

Hari noticed the letter tied to her leg and reached out to take it, she ignored the looks she got and smiled at Hedwig as she took the letter from her. 

“I will get you a snack soon,” Hari promised her friend. 

“You mean she just found you…on her own,” Kikumaru asked. 

“Yes,” Hari looked at him briefly, “she’s good like that.” 

“Good data,” Inui was muttering making Hari wonder what he possibly could need this data for, but she let it go.

“And…is that a letter?” Kawamura asked carefully and she noticed that he hadn’t the racket anymore. 

“It is,” Hari nodded, “she’s good at carrying letters.” 

“Strange…” Momoshiro and Kikumaru both blinked at the same time. 

Hari shrugged knowing it was strange for muggles, but she wasn’t going to say anything more about it. She couldn’t really say anything else, so she just had to let them think it was strange. 

“Can I pet her?” Kikumaru bounced over barely looking like he managed to contain himself from reaching out to touch her. 

Hari glanced at Hedwig who was now looking at Kikumaru with her sharp yellow eyes. Hari nodded and Kikumaru reached out and laughed delightfully when he touched the white feathers. 

“So soft, nya,” he exclaimed. “You’re beautiful, Fukuro-chan.” 

Hedwig preened making Hari chuckle. 

 

To say that Nanjiro was surprised when he saw Hedwig for the first time was not an understatement, Hari wasn’t sure he would find his voice again at all the amount of times he opened and closed it. Nanako had blinked then smiled cooing over how pretty Hedwig was making Hedwig preen proudly. 

Hari was a little nervous about the reaction to Nanjiro because she didn’t know what to do if he said she couldn’t keep her. Hari couldn’t lose Hedwig, and she would hate to have to decide against the adoption because of this. Luckily Nanjiro had said it was okay for her to keep Hedwig as long as she was the one to take care of her (like anything else had been an option).

Though, there was another issue that came back at her for full seeing Hedwig resting on her perch in her room later that night. Magic. More precisely her magic. She would need to tell them about her magic if they were really going to adopt her. 

“What should I do, Hedwig?” Hari mumbled making Hedwig open one eye to look at her. Hari couldn’t help the smile as she felt better just being able to talk to Hedwig again. “How can I tell them? What if they react like aunt Petunia and uncle Vernon?”

It was a deep worry she felt as she sat on the bed. Hedwig cooed and Hari looked up to see Hedwig flap her wing toward the desk and she looked to see the letter Hedwig had brought with her. She had forgotten about that. 

Opening the letter she saw unfamiliar scribbles and her hope that it was from Ron or Hermione fell away. She glanced at the bottom of the page and blinked. Sirius. It was from Sirius. 

“You saw Sirius, Hedwig?” Hari murmured. 

Settling back on the bed she read the letter. 

 

_-Letter-_

_Hi Hari,_

_I’m sorry we didn’t get to spend more time together before I had to flee, Hari. I would have loved the chance to get to know you again. I loved seeing you and just get to talk to you once. I often told myself that I would accept anything if I could just talk to you, just hold you once. But, who could know that just talking to you once I want to talk to you even more? I wish… Okay, it’s probably not good to dwell on wishes and dreams. That’s something Dumbledore would say at least. Who knows, perhaps he’s wrong this time?_

_I got a hold of a paper and saw…I have no words, Hari. I am so sorry for the trouble you’re in and I wished I could do something about it. I almost turned myself in to get your name cleared, but then I realised that it wouldn’t have done anything good. They wouldn’t believe me. You must hate me now, I’m sure. I keep failing you as your godfather, Hari. I can only hope that you will find your happiness somewhere out there one day and that I might get a chance to see you once more. One day I would really like to tell you about your dad and mum, Hari. Tell you about the best friends I ever had._

_Remus is alright, I know you’re probably worried about the old wolf. He is back at the cottage and resting after the full moon. He’s sorry about what has transpired as well, Hari. He tried talking to Dumbledore and even Fudge, but they wouldn’t listen. Or Fudge wouldn’t. Dumbledore believes you, but his hands are tied. He can’t do anything about it._

_I have gotten out of Britain now and am…safe. I will travel and see the world, but I wish I could be with you in England. I wish I could offer you the home like we talked about. I wished I could be there for you like I should. Like I owe James._

_I know James and Lily would be so proud of you, Hari. I know I told you when I saw you but you really do look a lot like them and have so much of them inside of you. Remember that those who really love you never really leave. They’re right there, Hari, inside of your heart._

_I have to go. I take it this owl is yours; I’ve seen her with you before when I watched you (as Padfoot) on the grounds of Hogwarts with your two friends, Ron and Hermione. Tell them hi from me, ok? They’re good friends to have, Hari._

_Love,_

_Sirius._

_-End letter-_

 

Hari wasn’t sure what she felt having read the letter. While he did sound concerned and she was sure he did care about her at least in some way, but…she couldn’t shake the feeling that he really only saw James in her. Though, could she blame him? He had spent 12 years in Azkaban and Remus had said that the place was horrible and those Dementors… She shuddered just thinking about the Dementors and the memories they brought with them. 

_“Not Hari, not Hari… show mercy…”_ the echo rang in her ears and she gritted her teeth as she tried to force it out. She got to her feet and slammed her hand against her desk wincing as the pain registered. 

“Hari!” Ryoma knocked on the door before opening it. “What’s going on?!” 

Hari blinked looking at him before his question registered in her mind and she looked down at her hand. 

“I just knocked it against the desk,” Hari said as calmly as she could. “It’s nothing, Ryo-chan.” 

He frowned at her but much to her relief he didn’t ask anything more even if he knew she wasn’t telling the truth. She just wasn’t ready to talk about it, at least not yet. 

“Meow,” Karupin entered the room looking at them before his blue eyes landed on Hedwig. 

Hari glanced at Hedwig who was staring down at Karupin without blinking who was giving Hedwig the same look. Hedwig puffed out her chest and screeched slightly. 

“Meow-ow,” Karupin tilted his head. 

Hedwig settled and gave what could only be described as a royal nod before turning back to her slumber. 

“I guess that’s that,” Hari blinked. 

“Huh,” Ryoma agreed. 

Hari shook her head at the strangeness of Hedwig; you really would think she was some sort of queen. But Hari loved her anyway. 

 

“Rinko is coming back tomorrow,” Nanjiro said one morning and Hari looked up from her breakfast to look at Nanjiro. He was reading but glanced over at her with a kind smile when he saw the look on her face. “She’ll have the paperwork then, Hari-chan.” 

Hari smiled before looking down at her plate feeling her heart beat harder in her chest. She would have to tell them before they signed any papers, she told herself. She had to. Nothing good would come of hiding it and she really should have told them before Rinko left for England, but… she had backed out and she hated feeling like a coward. She was a Gryffindor and it was time she acted like one. 

A hand went up to her forehead where her scar was. Perhaps they wouldn’t care about her scar or her magic? Perhaps… she felt hope. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I'm a little inspired by Prince of Tennis right now, so I took advantage and wrote another chapter before the inspiration left me. 
> 
> What do you think? :) 
> 
> I just have to admit that I have discovered that I rather like Yukimura as well as a possible pairing for Hari. Sigh, it's not on purpose. I don't really want to make it harder for myself. So the candidates for Hari right now are:  
> a) Fuji S.  
> b) Sanada G.  
> c) Atobe, K. (Though, less likely than the others)  
> d) Yukimura, S.  
> Fuji is still the one most have asked for and I will take it into consideration when I finally manage to make up my mind. 
> 
> Thank you for reading! :)
> 
> Japanese words used:  
> Sensei - teacher  
> Saa - filler  
> Mamushi - viper  
> Hai - yes  
> Fukuro - owl


	6. Magic is real

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing! 
> 
> ...  
> ...
> 
>  
> 
> _letter or english_  
>  **Parseltongue**

Hari paced her room unable to sleep as her mind refused to shut off and let her rest. Hedwig was out hunting for the night and she wished her owl would come back soon so she had some company. Hari knew she had to tell the Echizen’s about her magic and she had to do it before the adoption was formalized. 

But what if they changed their minds? What if they agreed with her aunt and uncle? Was it possible for them to think that she was a freak as well? 

_Freak!_

_That’s your fault, freak!_

_Unnatural girl, always causing problems…_

The voices of her relatives echoed in the night and she couldn’t shut them up. She fisted her hands as she sat down on the floor, her back pressed against the wall underneath the open window making her feel the cool nightly breeze that came into the room. She pulled her legs up to her chest and hugged them close to her body. 

“I have to tell them,” she whispered out loud. 

She owed them to tell them the truth and hope that they wouldn’t turn on her or think that she was a freak like her aunt and uncle did. She couldn’t risk that they found out later and then be stuck in a situation like she had been in with the Dursley’s. She couldn’t live like that again. If…if they reacted badly she would still be able to leave and hopefully find another way to live. 

Hari sighed and buried her face in her knees repressing the need to let her tears escape. She hated to cry, she felt so…weak and helpless. She hated that and she wished she could just let it go. Her stomach felt like it was in heavy knots that had rocks tied to them weighing her down. 

“Why do I have to tell them? Couldn’t I just stop doing magic?” Hari asked herself. 

No, she couldn’t. She remembered her lessons at Hogwarts and how they explained that training your magic was essential and very important to not hurting yourself or others. McGonagall had been very strict when she explained the consequences and Hari would hate if she lost control of her magic and hurt someone else because of it. So, she knew logically that she couldn’t pretend her magic didn’t exist. But…it was so tempting to just take the chance and hope for the best. 

She almost felt the need to scoff at herself. Right, hope for the best. With her luck, she would lose control and hurt Ryoma and that was something she never wanted to do. Just the thought of her hurting her hopefully-soon-to-be little brother had her cringing and bursts of new determination to tell them to come to life inside of her. 

Exhausted Hari finally managed to crawl to the bed and fall asleep. 

 

The next day was slow and long for Hari who had slept poorly and had a night filled with nightmares when she had finally fallen asleep. She could honestly say that she didn’t remember much of her day at school other than false laughs and smiles to her new classmates. She had skipped going to watch Ryoma practice tennis in favour of going home early hoping to have some time to gather her thoughts before having to tell them about her magic. 

Rinko would be home today and she knew that meant that they would talk more about the adoption. Ryoma had already talked about it before school and he had looked uncharacteristically cheerful about the thought. Hari wanted to feel the same, and in many ways she did but she felt like she had a hippogriff on her chest and rocks in her stomach. The reality was getting closer and she worried. 

“Potter-san,” a voice said and Hari froze. 

A man in a cloak was standing in front of her and she felt her heart beat harder and hands sweating. He was clearly a wizard, but he was also clearly Japanese. How had he found her and what did he want? Should she try to run? 

“Who are you?” Hari managed to ask without revealing her fear. 

“I’m Hisakawa Takuya,” he introduced himself. “I’m with the Magical Department of Child Services here in Japan.” 

Hari swallowed and forced herself to calm down with much effort. 

“And…how did you find me?” Hari asked. 

He smiled kindly, “why don’t we find someplace where we can talk, Potter-san?” 

Hari wanted to refuse, but she knew it wasn’t a good idea so she nodded. They found a small coffee place that looked quiet and she noticed that the man took out his wand and cast a few spells. 

“Charms to give us privacy,” he explained when he saw her wary look. 

“Ok,” Hari nodded, “what do you want, Hisakawa-san?” 

He looked calm and was still smiling but Hari shifted in her seat as he took a sip of his coffee before he lowered the cup. 

“It has come to our attention that you’re in the process of getting adopted, Potter-san,” he said. 

Hari stilled even more and felt how her shoulders tensed almost so much that it hurt. Her eyes flickered to the door before looking back at the man in front of her.

“No need to look so scared, Potter-san,” he said calmly. 

“What do you want?” she pressed out. “Why are you here?” 

“As a magical citizen you fall under the magical world, Potter-san,” he said glancing up at her.

“I’m choosing to leave the magical world, Hisakawa-san,” Hari gritted out her nails digging into her palms as she tried to remain calm. 

“We gathered that” he frowned turning serious. 

“How come you even knew I was here?” Hari asked worried that the magical world in Britain would find her as well. 

“We knew the moment you arrived, Potter-san,” he said calmly once more. 

Hari blinked and frowned, “and how did you know that I was getting adopted?” 

He smiled taking one more sip of his coffee. 

“Drink your tea, Potter-san,” he pointed to the tea, “it’s delicious!” 

Hari scowled but she took a sip of the tea and had to admit that it was good. 

“The magical community works slightly different here in Japan than in Europe,” Hisakawa started to explain. “We have a closer cooperation between the magical world and the muggle world. We work together with the muggle government in the way that we also have an eye on those who enter our country. We picked up on your arrival, but since you stated in your papers that you were here visiting a friend we let it be.” 

Hari frowned, she hadn’t known that. 

“Then we picked up on papers about an adoption earlier today and we decided that we needed to talk to you to find out more about the situation,” he continued. “So, here I am.” 

Hari relaxed slightly but not much as she eyed him warily. She was still feeling on edge. 

“Will you stop the adoption?” she asked.

He tilted his head slightly to the side as he looked at her. She felt like he was looking straight through her and she had to work to remain silent. 

“Why do you wish to get adopted, Potter-san?” he asked seriously. “We are very familiar with your story even here, Potter-san. You’re famous and leaving the magical world will not be easy. Especially for you.” 

Hari scowled at him making him blink. 

“That’s why,” she said, “I hate only being seen for the Girl-Who-Lived! No one sees me as me in the magical world. Only a few friends back at Hogwarts took the time to get to know the girl underneath the mask. In the muggle world, I can be Hari Potter and not the hero they decide I have to be.” 

He hummed and tapped his fingers on the table as he clearly thought about what she said. She looked away from him and gritted her teeth together annoyed that she had slipped and said that much. 

“I see,” he murmured. “Still doesn’t explain the wish to get adopted.” 

Hari knew she would have to tell him if she would have any chance to get adopted at all. So she told him the essential about her relatives back in England and how Rinko and Nanjiro had offered to adopt her. 

 

It was late and almost time for dinner when Hari finally was on her way back toward the shrine having finished her meeting with Hisakawa Takuya. He had listened to her and got a thoughtful look on his face as he watched her making her even more nervous. He had agreed to help her, though, and said that the adoption would go through. He had just wanted to talk to her to get her side of the case before they approved it as well. 

Hari wasn’t sure she felt relieved or disappointed when he said that she needed to tell them about magic (even if she had already planned on doing so). He said he would come and see them the next day and talk more about the magic and what they would do from then on. She had some options to consider, according to him. 

“Hari!” 

A hand grabbed her arm startling her out of her thoughts as she turned to see Ryoma staring at her with an arched brow. 

“Where are you going?” he asked. “You’re walking the wrong way!” 

Hari blinked and looked around before frowning. She hadn’t noticed. She sighed. 

“What’s up with you, Hari?” Ryoma frowned. 

Hari just shook her head, “you’ll see, Ryo-chan.” 

He frowned again but remained silent as he walked back the street he had come from, he must have seen her on his way back from practice and run to catch up with her to stop her from walking wrong once more. 

They arrived back at the house and Hari inhaled pushing her nerves away the best she could as she followed Ryoma inside. 

“Tadaima,” Ryoma called. 

“Okaeri,” Rinko greeted them with a smile from the doorway leading to the kitchen. 

 

“Let’s talk,” Rinko said when they had finished dinner and they all were gathered in the living room. “

“How did your talk with aunt Petunia and uncle Vernon go, Rinko-san?” Hari forced her voice to sound calm as she asked. 

Rinko scowled slightly before she schooled her expression once more before looking at Hari. There was something in her eyes that had Hari frown, why did she look at her like that? Like she knew something? 

“They agreed to sign the adoption papers, Hari-chan,” Rinko said bluntly but with a smile. “The only thing needed now is our signature and then we’ll file the papers and you’re ours.” 

Hari blinked and her chest swelled with happiness before as she watched Rinko pull out the papers. Hari looked at it and saw the signature of a Petunia Dursley and Vernon Dursley at the bottom of the page in neat letters. 

They had really thrown her away, Hari thought. A small part of her felt hurt that they could so easily do it, but the largest part felt happy and hopeful. She had a chance! 

“I thought we could sign it in front of the whole family,” Rinko smiled.

Hari fisted her hands as she stared at the pen and the paper lying on the table ready to be signed and make her officially a part of their family. It was what she wanted more than anything. As long as she could remember she had dreamed of being a part of a proper family and now after all this time it was finally within her reach. 

“Wait,” Hari forced herself to speak when Nanjiro reached for the pen.

He paused and looked at her with a curious look on his face.

“Hari-chan?” he asked. 

Hari swallowed and looked down on her clenched hands that were resting in her lap.

“Hari?” Ryoma frowned. 

“I…” how was she supposed to say it? Her words wouldn’t come out and she felt cold and warm all at once. 

“Hari-chan?” Rinko’s warm voice had her look up. “What is it?” 

“I have to tell you something before…” Hari whispered. 

“You could do that after we have signed,” Nanjiro said. 

Hari shook her head.

“No, I can’t,” Hari said, “I have to say it now.” 

They exchanged looks before they nodded and Nanjiro lets go of the pen again. Hari inhaled deeply knowing it was time and that she had to say it. 

“Alright,” Hari cleared her throat. When did it become so tight? “I have to confess something and…it might have you change your mind about adopting me, but…you have to know before…before you do it.” 

“What is it?” Ryoma asked. “They won’t change their minds, Hari.” 

Hari glanced at him and saw the confusion on his face, but she refused to let it comfort her. She took a deep breath and looked from one to the other and saw they all look confused and worried. 

“I know it’s a shock and a lot to take in,” Hari started, “but I don’t really know any other way to say this than to just say it. So,…here it goes…Magic is real and I’m a witch.” 

The words were out and she had said it. She tensed waiting for them to say something, but nothing came out and she dared to look up and found them staring at her with mouth opened. If she hadn’t been so nervous and scared she would have found it more amusing that both Ryoma and Nanjiro resembled a cat with their shocked expressions. 

“That’s not a prank, is it?” Ryoma asked. 

Hari sighed but shook her head before looking down. 

“No,” she whispered. “I’m telling the truth. Magic is real and the school I went to in Scotland was a magic schooled called Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.” 

She wished they would say something. Her eyes flickered over them again before she looked over to the window when Hedwig came flying in through the open door that led to the garden outside. Hedwig settled on her shoulder and nibbled at her hair. 

“Here,” Hari said and pulled out something she had prepared to prove that magic was real since she couldn’t use magic at the moment. “It’s my photo album.” 

She opened the album and revealed a photo of her with her parents. She saw their eyes widen as they stared at the photo as it moved. She was being carried by her dad who smiled proudly at the camera while her mum alternated between kissing her hand and waving it at the camera. 

“It’s moving,” Nanjiro stated. 

“All magical photos are moving,” Hari said. 

Nanjiro poked the photo and James and Lily both moved out of the way before scowling up him. Nanjiro suddenly grinned and poked it again. James waved a hand as of trying to guard off a fly making Nanjiro laugh. 

“Cool,” Ryoma said. “That’s your parents?” 

Hari felt her breath hitch as she looked at her friend who was staring fascinated at the photo. He glanced up at her and blinked at her. 

“Yes,” she nodded, “that’s them, James and Lily Potter.” 

“You resembled them both,” Rinko said kindly. 

So, where was the big reaction to her magic? She looked at them with a confused frown as she waited for them to do something, like yell at her or tell that she was a freak or something. But they just kept looking at the picture clearly finding it fascinating. 

“That’s it?” she had to ask. “You’re not…you’re not throwing me out?” 

“Eh?” Nanjiro blinked finally looking up from the picture and stopped poking it to look at her. “Why?” 

“Well…” 

“Magic doesn’t change anything, Hari-chan,” Rinko said kindly reaching out to squeeze her hand. “We still want to adopt you.” 

“What are you talking about?!” Nanjiro exclaimed loudly, “why wouldn’t we want to adopt you? Nonsense!” 

“Urusai, Oyaji,” Ryoma scowled before he looked at Hari and smiled his special smile. 

Hari felt warm and happy and couldn’t stop the relieved smile that crossed her face as she realised that they weren’t going to change their mind. There was a part of her that struggled to actually believe that they could react this calmly, but…they were. She looked at Ryoma who still smiled and realised that he wouldn’t smile like that to her if he was scared or thought she was a freak. 

She smiled as her tension left her and she felt relaxed for the first time in days and suddenly wondered why she had been so worried about how they would react to her magic? They had never given her a reason to do so. 

She smiled as Nanjiro reached for the pen and signed the paper before giving the pen to Rinko who did the same. Then she signed the forms she needed to so she could change her name and officially become Echizen Hari. 

 

The next day was a Saturday meaning that they didn’t have school and Hari spent the first part of the day playing tennis with Ryoma. She pushed herself to get better and grow as a tennis player. Given his instruction, she practised the swing by swinging the racket more times than she could count and until her arm felt like it was going to fall off. 

Ryoma smiled as he watched her and she took comfort in knowing he was there even if he sometimes would tease her. 

“Are you really okay with all of this, Ryo-chan?” Hari asked when she was sitting down breathing harder. 

“Yes,” he said short but blunt. 

She huffed, “glad to hear that you can talk.” 

He smiled slightly making her smile back and fell back so she was lying on her back staring up at the blue sky and the few white clouds that were dispersed in the sky. 

“I always want to fly when the day is this clear,” Hari commented. 

“Fly?” Ryoma blinked.

“Yeah,” Hari smiled dreamingly. “I love flying…” 

“Huh,” was all Ryoma said. 

Hari chuckled and turned to her side to look at Ryoma who was plucking at the strings at his racket. She noticed that he did that a lot. 

“Ryoma-kun, Hari-chan!” Nanako called making the two look to the side and see the older girl standing by the fence. “There’s a man here wanting to see Hari-chan.” 

Hari frowned confused before she remembered Hisakawa making her sit up abruptly. 

“Oh, right,” she said. 

“Hari?” Ryoma asked. 

“Come on, Ryo-chan;” Hari said. 

 

“…so we will start your homeschooling for magic immediately,” Hisakawa said looking at Hari who looked confused. 

“But I’m suspended and I was told my magic was locked because of it,” Hari said. 

“That’s easily fixed,” Hisakawa said, “besides when you resign from Hogwarts you will be accepted into our homeschool program. It won’t be affected by what happened in Britain.” 

Hari nodded thoughtfully, “I haven’t formally resigned yet, though.” 

Hisakawa arched a brow at her, “may I ask why?” 

Hari looked around at Rinko who was there with her in the office they normally talked in. Nanjiro had taken Ryoma with him to play some tennis while Hari and Rinko talked to Hisakawa. 

“I didn’t want Dumbledore to know I had left yet,” Hari admitted, “I…I know he would immediately try to bring me back.” 

“Why?” Rinko asked. 

“He wants control over me,” Hari said glancing at her. “I told you about him before, Rinko-san. He is one of those who want my fame and he thinks I should be at Hogwarts doing whatever he thinks is ideal for the greater good.” 

Hisakawa seemed to understand more than Rinko did and nodded with a thoughtful look on his face. 

“How did you plan on resigning?” Hisakawa asked. 

“I asked my aunt to send a letter when the term was over,” Hari said, “then I would be gone and hopefully he wouldn’t be able to find me.” 

“I think you should go ahead and resign right away,” Hisakawa said, “that way we can get started on your homeschooling. Also, your adoption is registered in the muggle world first and foremost. We’ll seal your adoption in the magical world and hopefully, that will help hide you from the British Wizarding world.” 

Hari nodded allowing a small smile to escape. 

 

“Hi Hari-chan,” Momoshiro grinned as he sat down in his seat beside her in the classroom. 

“Momo-chan,” Hari smiled back. “You’re late.” 

“Surprisingly later than you,” Momoshiro shot back. 

Hari scoffed, “I’m not late.” 

“You where late every day last week, Hari-chan,” Momoshiro pointed out. 

“Hm,” Hari pouted, “still got here before you today.” 

“Hai, hai,” he laughed. “How are you settling in?” 

“Alright,” Hari smiled. “I love being here.” 

He smiled again and sighed when the teacher started the class and immediately fell asleep in his seat making Hari roll her eyes at him, but turned away from him to pay attention to the teacher. She glanced at Momoshiro who reminded her a little of Ron with his attitude to classes. 

The class finished and Hari stretched and yawned before glancing over at a still sleeping Momoshiro. He still didn’t wake up even with the whole class moving around, talking and scraping chairs against the floor. 

A smile crossed Hari’s face as she got a good idea. Biting her lips to stop from laughing out loud she reached for a marker…this was going to be good! 

 

Hari followed after a chatting Momoshiro who had woken from his nap when Kaido had kicked his chair so hard that he fell off it. Hari had seen the small flash of amusement on Kaido’s face when he saw Momoshiro before he had hidden it behind his familiar scowl. 

“…you have to eat lunch with us, Hari-chan,” Momoshiro said. “The others won’t mind.” 

“I’m not in the tennis club, though,” Hari said. 

“That doesn’t matter,” Momoshiro claimed. “Echizen will be there too, you know.” 

Hari smiled and nodded as she tried to keep a straight face as Momoshiro got a confused look on his face as he noticed the strange looks he was getting from the passing students. 

“Oi! Hari-chan!” Kikumaru cheered already running toward her from where the tennis regulars were gathered under a tree in the yard, but he stopped before he could reach them as he saw Momoshiro. He blinked and then he started to laugh. “Heheheh! Momo! Hehehe!” 

“EH? Kikumaru-sempai?” Momoshiro blinked confusedly. 

Ryoma chuckled from his seat in the grass but he hid it behind his Ponta, while Kawamura smiled looking like he really wanted to laugh but was too kind to actually do it. Oishi chuckled while Inui scribbled in his notebook muttering to himself as he gazed up at Momoshiro. Tezuka looked blank and Hari was wondering if he ever showed an expression. 

Fuji, though…he was smiling but he wasn’t looking at Momoshiro with his eyes closed (again, how did he actually see anything?) but at her and he looked calm yet amused. She squared her shoulders and tried to ignore him. 

“Um, Momo, have you looked in a mirror?” Oishi ever the kind one asked. He was trying not to laugh. 

“A mirror?” Momoshiro frowned. “No…” 

He ran to a window and stared at the reflexion his mouth gaping and horror crossed his face. 

“Eh?...How…Who…?” 

The words: SLEEPING BEAUTY was written in a black marker. He reached up to rub at it, but it wasn’t going off. He turned toward Hari who stared back at him with an innocent look on her face. 

“What? Do you want something, Momo-chan?” her smile grew as she asked. 

He narrowed his eyes at her. 

“You did this!” he glared. 

“Me?” Hari asked shocked a hand going to her chest. “Why do you think I did this?” 

“I know you did!” Momoshiro growled taking a step closer to her. “You’re the one who sat beside me and you were close when I woke up!” 

Hari’s lips twitched amused but that seemed to be all the proof he needed as he started to run. 

“Eeep!” Hari laughed and ran with him chasing her around the group of laughing tennis players. 

“I’ll get you!” Momoshiro yelled. 

“You can try!” She yelled back with a teasing smile. 

Hari laughed as she ran with Momoshiro chasing behind her through the school. 

“Hari-san?” Sakuno asked when Hari almost collided with her and her friend Tomoka.

“Oy! Watch it!” Tomoka yelled annoyed. 

“Ah, sorry!” Hari grinned before looking behind her. “Oops, sorry, got to run! I have an enrage peach behind me. See yah!” 

She ran ignoring their confusion as Momoshiro rounded the corner. 

 

Hari fell down next to Ryoma who lazily looked over at her. She breathed harder and sweat was clear on her forehead but she didn’t care. 

“Water,” she gasped. 

“Hai, hai,” Ryoma sighed and tossed her a bottle of water. 

“Eh? Where’s Momo?” Kikumaru asked. 

Hari gulped the water down before wiping her mouth with the back of her hand as she looked at Kikumaru. 

“I guess he’s on his way,” she said. “I think he went to wash his face.” 

Ryoma snorted beside her. 

“Did you really draw it on his face?” Kikumaru asked with a smile. 

“Saa?” Hari said, borrowing Fuji’s favourite expression. 

She reached over to take a bite of Ryoma’s food just as the bell rang and she sighed. She hadn’t had time to eat lunch. Well, whatever.

“See you later, Ryo-chan,” Hari said. 

“If Momo-chan-sempai doesn’t kill you first,” Ryoma deadpanned. 

Hari just grinned, “well, he’ll have to get in line.” 

She waved and turned to leave missing the clear blue eyes that stared at her with a pensive look. 

 

**Meanwhile somewhere in Scotland...**

Dumbledore sighed as he stared out at the school population as they were all gathered to dinner in the Great Hall. He easily spotted Ron and Hermione seated at the Gryffindor table looking down and barely talking to anyone but each other. They looked alone without the auburn hair witch at their side and Dumbledore felt a spark of annoyance at his Potion professor who went above his head to the Minister of Magic himself causing Hari to get suspended. If she hadn’t been suspended then Hari wouldn’t have…

“Albus?” McGonagall asked. 

He inhaled deeply and forced a smile on his face as he turned to his deputy. 

“Yes, what is it, Minerva?” he asked. 

“Are you ok?” she asked. 

“I’m fine,” he reassured her, “but gather the professors to the staff room after dinner.” 

McGonagall nodded looking curious but didn’t ask anything else. 

Dumbledore watched as his professors all found their seat around the long table in the staff room. It was where they normally had their staff meetings to discuss the classes and plans. 

“Attention, please,” Dumbledore said and they all fell silent looking at him. 

He saw Snape looking bored and had a sneer on his face like normal, while McGonagall looked collected and patient as always. Flitwick and Sprout looked curious while Hagrid looked a little worried. The rest was a mix of the others. 

“Why did you ask us to come here, Albus?” Snape asked impatiently, “I have a potion to brew.” 

“It’s unusual for you to ask for an extra meeting with so short noticed,” Hooch commented.

Dumbledore sighed and looked at them. 

“It is,” he admitted. “But I thought it best to inform you all about the news at once and then we’ll discuss how to proceed.” 

“What news, Albus?” McGonagall asked. 

“I received a letter this morning from Hari Potter,” Dumbledore started. 

“What does that brat want now,” Snape sneered. “Complain some more?” 

“Shut up, Severus,” McGonagall snapped at her before turning her eyes to Dumbledore once more. “What did she want, Albus?” 

“I think I’ll read you the letter,” Dumbledore said feeling tired. He pulled out the carefully folded letter and unfolded it getting ready to read. 

 

_-Letter-_

_Dear Professor Dumbledore and staff._

_I with this letter formally withdraw from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I will not come back after my suspension as I find it unacceptable to be punished for something that never should have been allowed to happen in the first place._

_I will not be talked out of this decision when I have given it much thought. I only stayed for as long as I did because of Ron and Hermione, but I can’t do that anymore. It isn’t fair to them to be constantly in danger because of me and danger seems to follow me at Hogwarts so I resign. I can’t trust that I am safe at the school when all I have experienced is being in danger._

_I ask that you don’t look for me. You won’t find me. I am now happy and safe as I have left my so-called relatives and won’t be returning to their so-called care. Did you know they hated me? I told you I didn’t want to go back. I asked to be allowed to stay with Ron and his family during summer, but you refused. Why should you have a say in where I stay, professor? You’re not my guardian. You should have seen that something was wrong. You all should._

_As for reasons why I chose to quit; I have almost died every year I’ve been at Hogwarts, Professor. That isn’t acceptable. Do you mean to tell me that only first years, then second years and finally third years was able to figure the truth out and do something about it? We should never have been put in that situation in the first place. Quirrell, basilisk, Voldemort himself (!) and finally Sirius and the Dementors. While I don’t really blame you for Sirius (though I blame the magical world for not giving him the trail he deserved and just throwing him in jail like trash, but that a completely different rant so I shall leave it for now) I am glad I had the chance to meet him; I do blame you for allowing the Dementors into the school. Did you know I hear my mum die when they’re close?_

_Another reason, I am sick and tired of being either the hero or the big bad wolf for the sheep in the wizarding world. Either I’m the Girl-Who-Lived or I’m the one who is to blame for everything. I am never just ME! I’m Hari Potter, a girl who just wants to have friends, a family and a safe place to call home like everyone else. Even you teachers only see the Girl-Who-Lived or the orphaned girl of James and Lily Potter. I never knew them nor do I know why I’m always punished or praised for things they did when they were at school. How is that fair?!_

_Do I really need more reasons? I have more, but I don’t think I’ll waste more paper on writing them down. Think and I’m sure you’ll figure it out._

_Next time your mess gets back to bite you, clean it up yourself and don’t expect CHILDREN to do it for you! Voldemort might be gone, but his followers aren’t, are they?_

_Thank you for nothing, and hope to never see any of you again,_

_Harriett Lily Potter._

_-end letter-_

 

Dumbledore watched as his professors processed the letter and saw the guilt on many of their faces, he felt a spark of guilt himself and he knew he had failed with her. He should never have allowed some of the situations to get that out of hand, he had only meant for her to be trained so she was ready to face Voldemort when he came back for her. He needed her to show the wizarding world the ideal of the light and how they would progress and pull out of the past. She was the one who should lead the way. 

Now it was all lost and it was because of him, and because of the school. He had honestly thought she was happy there, that she saw Hogwarts as her home. He had miscalculated and now they were paying for it. 

“Please, don’t tell me you’re actually listening to the brat?” Snape sneered. “She’s just complaining and whining because she’s not getting what she wants and not everyone is bowing at her feet! She’s taking the punishment for her misdeeds like any other student would.” 

“Then why is she the only one suspended, Snape?” Sprout asked. “Shouldn’t Miss Granger and Mr Weasley also be suspended if that was true?” 

“The Minister thought…” Albus started. 

“The Minister thought he could blame the escape of Sirius Black on a 13-year-old witch and save his career as Minister for a little while longer,” McGonagall spoke up looking a little pale but her eyes shot glares as she stared at Dumbledore. “He singled Hari out because of her name and because of Snape’s hate for the girl. Granger and Weasley don’t carry the same weight, so they were spared.” 

“Enough,” Dumbledore said making them all fall silent once more. “We need to figure out what to do now.” 

They had to find her and get her back. She belonged at Hogwarts. It was all for the greater good. He didn’t notice McGonagall narrowing her eyes as she looked at him, nor the way Flitwick and Sprout were exchanging looks as he thought about where Hari could be. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? :) A little peek in on the magical world... I don't plan on having many of those, but it will happen occasionally (probably). 
> 
> Let me know what pairing you want!  
> Fuji, Sanada or Yukimura? :) 
> 
> I have now also posted this fic on fanfiction.net, just so you're aware that if you see it over there that it really is me that have posted it :) 
> 
> Thank you all who have left kudos and commented on this story! Thank you for reading! 
> 
> Japanese words used:  
> Tadaima - I'm home  
> Okaeri - Welcome back  
> Oyaji - Old man/ dad  
> Urusai - Loud, noisy  
> Saa - filler


	7. Doubles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Hari shook her head not impressed but amused as she watched Ryoma and Momoshiro sitting on the ground their backs pressed against the railing at the bridge that was overriding the freeway. 

“Eeergh…” 

“Aaaahhh…” 

“I ate way too much!” Momoshiro groaned.

“It’s because you’re way too stubborn,” Ryoma said.

Hari hid her chuckle behind her hand as she looked at them. Ryoma talking about others being stubborn, now, that was hilarious. She tilted her head as she remained silent watching them. They had been getting along quite well, until the girl they didn’t know the name off had come and awoken the competitor instinct in them both. Not that Hari minded, it was good entertainment watching them see who could out eat the other. Though, Hari must admit…she did get a little sick just watching the amount of greasy food they ate.

“Nah, Echizen,” Momoshiro said. 

“What is it?” Ryoma asked. 

“Like that girl said before,” the taller of the two started. “The Singles 1 and 2 are Captain Tezuka and Fuji-sempai. Next, the doubles 1 team is Eiji-sempai and Oishi-sempai. They are the Golden Pair. The ones left are Taka-san, Mamushi, me and you…” 

Hari could see what was coming just as they both stated:

“The no 3 singles player in the singles match is probably going to be me!” 

They blinked as they stared at each other while Hari chuckled. They really were similar, she thought. 

“Why don’t you play it out?” Hari asked innocently. 

Ryoma narrowed his eyes at her for a second but Momoshiro jumped to his feet looking eager.

“That’s fine by me!” he said. 

“Aa, I don’t want to wait until tomorrow anyway,” Ryoma said getting to his feet as well. 

They walked around for a bit before they found a court that was open and saw that there were already a lot of people there. Hari looked around curiously and noticed that not everyone was playing tennis some was even using those shoes with wheels on. She wondered what they were called; she couldn’t remember having seen them before. Perhaps Ryoma would teach her how to use them sometimes? 

“Is there a fee?” Hari heard Momoshiro ask someone.

“No, it’s free,” the boy answered. 

“Hi!” A cheerful voice called and they turned to see the girl from the burger place sitting on a low wall. 

“It’s her…” Momoshiro commented. 

Just as they were going to go over there two boys interrupted them. 

“We haven’t seen your faces before,” one of them said. “You’re new here?” 

“Aa,” Momoshiro nodded while Ryoma just stared at them without saying anything. 

 

“You know…” Hari smiled glancing at the girl from before as they both watched Ryoma and Momoshiro getting ready for their double game. “I never got to say thank you.” 

The girl blinked and looked at Hari. “Thank you? For what?” 

“You gave me a lot of free entertainment,” Hari smirked.

She looked confused still but smiled a little. 

“What’s your name?” Hari asked curiously turning to look at the girl more clearly. She had short light brown hair that reached her chin; Hari noticed that she had various hairclips in her hair probably to keep it from falling into her eyes. 

“Ann,” she smiled.

Hari arched a brow at the lack of last name but there was a note of some mischief in her eyes that told Hari that the omission was on purpose. But why did she purposely not give her last name? 

“I’m Hari,” Hari smiled back. 

“Do you attend Seigaku as well?” Ann asked curiously. 

“I do,” Hari nodded, “just started a few weeks ago.” 

Ann nodded before looking back at the court where Ryoma and Momoshiro got ready to take the first serve. 

“Oh…” Ann mumbled seeing the twist serve from Ryoma. 

“He’s not holding back,” Hari grinned.

“He can do the twist serve?” Ann asked surprised. 

Hari nodded. 

“What an amazing serve,” Ann complimented. “I can’t believe I got to see it in a place like this.” 

It wasn’t much of a game with them winning by Ryoma’s twist serves. Hari shook her head and pouted a little. 

“Eh? What’s wrong, Hari?” Ann asked noticing her pout. 

“I wanted to see Ryo-chan and Momo-chan play together,” Hari sighed, “it would have been so…amusing.” 

Ann blinked and looked back at Hari who only pouted more when Ryoma and Momoshiro won one more game without really playing together. It was clear that they didn’t really play a real double match… and Hari wanted to see them work together.

“Oi! Who’s next?” Momoshiro called out looking around to see if anyone else would step forward to challenge them. 

“We’ll challenge you,” one of the guys from before said. 

Hari looked at them and instantly smiled as she sensed that they were good, better than the others who had challenged Ryoma and Momoshiro at last. 

“Who are they?” Hari asked looking at Ann who blinked. 

“Izumi Tomoya, is the one with orange hair,” Ann said, “and Fukawa Kimiyoshi is the one with long dark hair.” 

“I see,” Hari mused. “I think I can get some entertainment here.” 

“Your friends won before;” Ann pointed out, “isn’t that enough?” 

“They didn’t really play a doubles match,” Hari said without looking away from the court. “It’s more fun if I can tease them with this.” 

Hari knew Ann was staring at her, but she didn’t care. She predicted a lot of fun teasing material coming and while she did want her friends to win she didn’t really see them winning without learning how to work together and they wouldn’t learn that until they saw the consequences of only playing by themselves. Wanting them to learn the lesson didn’t mean that she couldn’t have her fun while doing it, now did it? 

15-0.

“That one was close enough for me to get!” Ryoma glared at Momoshiro.

“In this situation the one who’s hitting forehand should get it,” Momoshiro glared back. 

Hari shook her head as she watched them go back to the match. 

30-0

Again the same mistake, Hari thought shaking her head slightly but smiled a little as they snapped at each other. Ok, so maybe she was bad for finding amusement from their frustration and snapping at each other but she really couldn’t help herself. 

“They’re not in sync, are they,” Ann asked. 

“No,” Hari shook her head. “Not at all.” 

40-0

That was Ryoma’s ball, Hari was sure of it. She had read a lot of tennis books since she got there and she thought she understood doubles fairly well. She found it fascinating to watch someone work together and seemingly knowing what their partner was going to do both in defence and offence. 

“By the way, Momo-sempai,” Ryoma said ignoring the annoying comment from the other as he pointed his racket at the boundary line. “The doubles’ boundary line is here, isn’t it?” 

“So what?” Momoshiro asked confused. 

“It’s hard to because it’s my first time,” Ryoma confessed rubbing the back of his head.

“First time?!” Momoshiro asked shocked. “No way!” 

“Does it look like I’ve played doubles before?” Ryoma asked. 

Hari laughed shaking her head. They were at least talking to each other now. 

“He’s never played doubles before?” Ann asked. 

“No,” Hari shook her head, “not as far as I know, at least. He’s a very strong singles player, though, and he’s been trained as a singles player his whole life.” 

“Then why is he playing doubles now?” Ann asked confused. 

“To prove a point,” Hari shrugged before looking back at the match and not elaborating her statement. 

“Game set! Game won by Fukawa-Izumi pair!” the one who acted as a referee called. 

 

“Are you going home now?” Ann asked as she followed Hari over to the two boys. Hari smiled amusedly as she spotted the annoyance of having lost on their faces. 

“We lost so there’s nothing more to do here;” Momoshiro said. 

“That’s right,” Ann said, “you guys were no competition at all. I was expecting more since you were regulars from Seigaku.” 

She turned and started to walk away while Hari was torn between amusement at her bold statement and annoyance at the same statement, as she felt it went against the pride of their school. Yet, she felt it was more to challenge them than to anything else so she refrained from saying anything and instead watched the annoyance on Momoshiro and Ryoma’s faces. 

“She’s right, you know,” Momoshiro said grabbing his tennis gear. “We’d be impossible together.” 

“Izumi! Fukawa! You guys are amazing! Being able to beat those two amazing guys and all.” 

The sentence had them pausing on their way back and Hari glanced to the court to see the pair who had just won over Ryoma and Momoshiro talking to two other guys. 

“To be expected of Gyokurin Middle School Tennis Club’s famous pair’s team,” the other guy said and Hari heard Momoshiro comment on that they might play them again in the district preliminaries. 

“Don’t compare our team with theirs,” Izumi said. 

“Even if they have top-notch skills, they don’t have any control over their double’s game at all,” Fukawa added. 

They all laughed. 

“Your levels are way different. Let’s go,” one of the other guys said. 

“That crash site combination was just waiting to happen. We’ll beat them no matter what they do.” 

“That’s right.” 

The conversation faded leaving Ryoma and Momoshiro standing on the top of the stone stairs in silence while Hari watched them curious to see how they would react to that. She didn’t have to wait long before Momoshiro said something. 

“Hey, Echizen, what I said before about wanting to be the no.3 singles player…I take it back.” 

“I take back what I said too,” Ryoma said smiling.

Hari grinned as they once again said the same thing:

“As I thought, real men should play doubles!” 

Hari couldn’t help it. She laughed. She laughed so hard they both turned to her and stared at her like she was crazy. 

“Hari?” 

“Sor—sorry! I…I…just…just couldn’t…help it,” Hari gasped wiping a tear that escaped from her chin. “You two are hilarious!” 

Momoshiro frowned at her, “we’re not!” 

Ryoma nodded in agreement to Momoshiro. 

Hari just laughed again before turning to walk down the stairs, “you are. I’m so happy I decided to be dragged along with the two of you today. So much fun!” 

She couldn’t help but smile when she heard Momoshiro whisper to Ryoma:

“Why do I have a feeling we’re not going to be able to forget this match with her around?” 

“Because we won’t,” Ryoma whispered back. 

Hari didn’t say anything but felt her smile stretch even more on her lips. 

 

Ryoma blinked at her and Hari thought he resembled Karupin with the way he blinked and looked at her. She smiled at him. 

“What is this?” he asked.

“A book about doubles,” Hari explained. “I’ve just finished it and I think it’s good. It should explain the method of the game to you.” 

He looked down at the book and then back at her. 

“You’re interested in doubles, Hari?” he asked. 

Hari shrugged leaning against his desk as she watched him. 

“I guess,” She said, “I think it’s fascinating.” 

Ryoma nodded and started to flick through the book making Hari smile a little. 

“I told coach Ryuzaki that I wanted to play doubles,” Ryoma said. <&o>

Hari nodded in understanding. 

“You just have to learn how to rely on another player out on the court,” Hari said, “and figure out your weakness.” 

Ryoma looked at her before he got a thoughtful look on his face.

“My weakness?” he mused. 

“Yours and Momo-chan’s,” Hari continued. 

He looked confused but Hari just smiled and left the room. She was sure he’d figure it out. 

 

Hari decided to go out for a run while Ryoma and Momoshiro were practising at the shrine. She knew they would figure out their weakness and work together to solve it. She smiled slightly as she heard their bickering even on the street outside. 

She started her pace at a moderate speed as she jogged through the streets and suddenly found herself down by the river. Deciding she wanted to run along the river she ran down the steps and started to run to the right. 

**“The magic drinks the jammed translator behind a solicitor,”** Hari startled so much she lost her balance and would have fallen, probably into the river, if not for a strong arm that grabbed her arm and managed to keep her on her feet.

She frowned and turned to see Kaido right behind her, he must have come running behind her and she hadn’t noticed him. 

“What is with those random things you say?!” She gasped pulling away from his grip. 

He gave her a blank look. 

“Whatever,” she muttered annoyed at the lack of response. She noticed that he was dressed in black shorts that reached his knees and a singlet; clearly, he was out practising as well. “Thank you.” 

**“When does the adorable self charge the trade?”** He looked away from her and started to jog again leaving a confused Hari behind. Did the sentences he says even make any sense? It didn’t seem like he really was saying anything, and she hadn’t really seen his lips move like he was talking…it was more like he was…hissing. 

Hissing. 

Oh. 

“Maji ka yo?” Hari shook her head to clear it and stared at the running form of Kaido who had already gotten pretty far away from her. She started to run after him and used her speed to catch up to him. 

“Chotto!” Hari called out. “Ka-chan!” 

He stopped and she noticed him almost stumble before he turned to look at her clearly shocked. Was that a blush in his cheeks? Hari repressed a smile as she caught up to him. 

“What?” he barked with a fierce scowl. 

“You don’t know do you?” she asked. 

“Know what?” he asked confused but still scowling. 

Hari just grinned and laughed. “Sugoi! You’re really awesome, Ka-chan!” 

He blushed again and turned his back to her in an effort to hide from her. She tried to hold in her laughter the best she could. He got embarrassed so easily, didn’t he? She hadn’t noticed before. 

To think he was talking in parseltongue and didn’t even know it was hilarious and explained so much! She should have figured it out much earlier, she thought. Though, she hadn’t exactly expected to hear parseltongue here of all places and without even a snake in sight. 

“You run really fast, by the way, Ka-chan,” Hari said, “can I join you?” 

He blinked at her before he shrugged and started to run again careful not to look at her so she suspected he was hiding a blush. She took his shrug as acceptance and set her pace to match his. She observed Kaido who was looking so determined as he ran. 

 

Hari leaned forward slightly resting her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath. She looked over at Kaido who was stretching out on a nearby bench. He really did have stamina for him to keep running like he did and not even pausing before starting to stretch out. She suspected that he had held back a little as well because of her and she didn’t like it. 

“You’re really good, Ka-chan,” Hari smiled at him pushing herself upright and making him glance at her. “Can I come running with you again another time?” 

He blinked at her, “…you want to?” 

She blinked back, “yes. Why wouldn’t I?” 

He shrugged and looked away from her. 

“So…may I?” she asked again when he hadn’t responded. 

“Ok,” he nodded. 

“Great! Next time I won’t allow you to hold back because of me!” Hari promised. 

He looked at her momentarily surprised before he managed to school his expression again to the scowl. She wondered if that was his default expression. That was also something she had to work on. 

“… how did you know I held back?” he finally asked. 

“Aha! I knew it!” Hari exclaimed, “I just knew.” 

He gave her what she read as a curious look before he looked away again and focused on his stretching. She tilted her head and moved over to him. 

“Can you show me how to do that?” she asked.

He glanced at her again before he sighed resignedly. 

“Hai,” he said. 

Hari did as he said and she smiled as she felt the work being done. This was something they never did after Quidditch practice, but she really saw the rewards of doing it. She could feel her muscles start to relax and get better as she stretched. At Hogwarts, they would get potions if they had sore muscles and that would help, but in the muggle world, she wouldn’t have access to that as easily so learning this was brilliant. 

Hari sat down as she watched Kaido start to line up empty Ponta boxes on a wall curiously. She saw him grab his racket before standing back and start to hit the tennis balls one by one and she watched how they went in a perfect bow and hit every Ponta box off the wall. Hari grinned as she watched him finding his technique fascinating. 

 

Hari frowned when it got late and she figured she had to get back to the house. The only problem was…which way, was it? She had run longer than she had planned and had gotten distracted by Kaido so she had forgotten to pay attention to the route they had taken.

“Problem?” Kaido asked breaking into her thoughts. 

“…I forgot,” Hari frowned. 

“Forgot what?” 

“The way back to Ryo-chan’s home…” Hari said.

He arched a brow, “isn’t it your home as well now?” 

Hari blinked before she smiled and rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, “ah. Right. That’s going to take some getting used to.” 

He sighed, “come on.” 

She followed him and this time they walked at a more moderate pace. She knew he wasn’t one to talk much and she was content to walk in silence. She lost track of the turns and twist they took through the streets until they reached a familiar street and she recognised the gate leading to her home. 

“Arigatou, Ka-chan!” Hari smiled and waved. “See you at the matches tomorrow!” 

He gave a short nod before turning around without saying anything else. Hari shrugged and walked through the gate. She wondered if Ryoma was back yet. 

 

“You’re a little late, aren’t you Hari-chan?” Nanako asked looking at Hari who was eating her breakfast rather quickly.

Hari sighed but nodded, “I know.” 

“Ryoma-kun has already left,” Nanako continued as she put a glass of milk next to Hari’s plate. “His friend came and picked him up.” 

Hari nodded again chewing on her food before swallowing and looking over at Nanako.

“I’m just watching so it’s not that important that I’m there at the same time as Ryo-chan and the others,” Hari pointed out to the worried older girl.

“But…” Nanako looked worried still and Hari sighed softly.

“It’s fine, Nanako-san,” Hari assured her. “I’ll find my way.” 

Nanako looked a little worried at her but she refrained from saying anything. Hari didn’t doubt that she had wanted to say something about her ability to get to the right place. Hari wasn’t getting lost all the time, thank you very much! She sighed as she finished her breakfast. 

“Thank you for the meal,” Hari said getting up and was about to grab her plate to clean it when Nanako took it. She smiled and Hari nodded back at her before she rushed out of the kitchen. She grabbed her bag and put on her shoes before she was out of the house with a call of “Bye!” 

 

Hari grumbled as she looked around. She had found the park where the Tokyo District Preliminary Tournament was being kept (finally, she didn’t want to admit how long she had been looking for it), but…she was lost. Again. She sighed as she walked around the park and saw plenty of tennis teams, but she couldn’t find Ryoma or the others. 

“Itee!” Hari grumbled as she collided with someone making her fall to the ground sitting on her arse. She rubbed her head as it throbbed slightly and glared up at the dark haired teen with shoulder-length hair. He blinked at her like he wasn’t sure what he was seeing. 

“You should look where you’re going,” he muttered. “It wasn’t my fault that you walked straight into me without looking where you were going. I was just standing here without doing anything wrong. No one can blame me for your carelessness.” 

Hari frowned at him as she heard his mutterings. 

“Ibu!” Another teen scolded and Hari saw a boy with deep red bangs that covered his right eye, “you should help the girl up when you cause her to be knocked off her feet.” 

He turned toward her and smiled, “I’m sorry about him. Are you ok?” 

“I’m fine,” Hari said and got to her feet as she dusted herself off. “He’s right it was my fault.” 

“Ah, Hari-chan!” A familiar girl said. 

“Ann-chan!” Hari smiled, “how are you? What are you doing here?” 

“You know Ann-chan?” the one who had helped her asked. 

“We’ve met,” Hari smiled briefly, “I must say, I do appreciate the entertainment you gave me last time. The boys were really riled up by what you said, so thank you!” 

Ann got that confused look on her face but she shrugged and smiled at her. Hari looked around and saw for the first time that a group of boys was standing there watching her. They seemed to be on the same tennis team if their similar outfits were any indicator. 

“Sorry about this,” Hari bowed at them. “I didn’t mean to run into you. I was just lost.” 

“Lost?” Ann asked curiously. 

“I was looking for Ryo-chan and Momo-chan,” Hari explained, “and the rest of the team, of course. Well, they keep moving and I can’t find them.” 

“They keep moving?” the one with the bangs asked. 

“Mm-hm,” Hari nodded seriously. “If they kept to one spot I wouldn’t have such a hard time finding them all the time. Really, how hard could it be?” 

They blinked at her not sure what to say. Hari huffed and shrugged. 

“They’re probably about to start their match,” Ann said. “I can show you the way if you want.” 

“Really?” Hari grinned. “That would be great!” 

“Who are you?” the one called Ibu asked before Hari could leave. 

“I’m Hari,” Hari said waving at them. “I don’t really know you either…” 

“I’m Tachibana Kippei,” the older one introduced himself with a kind smile and Hari could tell he was the leader of this team and he was good. There was a strength to his eyes that told Hari that he had what was needed to lead a team. This team would be a challenge should Ryoma and the others play them, Hari thought.

“You’re the captain, aren’t you?” Hari asked. 

“I am,” he said looking slightly surprised. “This is my team, Ibu Shinji, the one you collided with.” 

Hari glanced at him and saw the frown on his face, but otherwise didn’t show any emotion.

“Kamio Akira,” the one with the bangs smiled at her.

“Ishida Tetsu,” the one with the bandana around his head. “Sakurai Masaya,” brown-haired-one. “Mori Tatsunori,” spiky black hair with brown eyes, “Uchimura Kyosuke” the one with the black cap. 

Hari nodded at them and looked back at Ann who was smiling slightly. 

“Nice to meet you,” Hari said, “I’m sorry but I’m rather new to Tokyo, what school are you in?” 

“Fudomine Middle School,” Tachibana said. 

“What about you?” Kamio asked smiling at her.

“Seigaku Middle School,” Hari said while it would be fun to trick them it wouldn’t work since Ann did know what school she was in. “I’m a second year.” 

“I see,” Tachibana said. “Well, we’ll let you go and find your friends.” 

Hari nodded and waved at them, “good luck today! I hope you’ll be able to play Ryo-chan and the others! Bye!” 

 

“Arigatou, Ann-chan,” Hari smiled at the other girl. “I’ll find my way now.” 

Ann did look a little doubtful, but she nodded and waved at Hari who was already running toward the court where Seigaku was going to play. 

“Ah! Found it!” Hari exclaimed. 

“Hari-sempai!” 

Hari looked to the side to see the three first-year boys standing there and she smiled at them. 

“Hi,” she greeted. 

“You’re late!” Horio yelled. 

“Ah, I got lost,” Hari admitted sheepishly before she looked at the court and saw that they were already lined up and ready for the matches. 

“Ryoma-kun and Momo-chan-sempai are playing doubles,” Kachiro said making Hari look over at the younger boy with the bowler haircut. 

“It’s Ryoma-kun! I’m sure they will do fine!” Mizuno said. 

Hari smiled slightly at the faith they had in Ryoma. 

“First match! The doubles,” a woman’s voice called out through the speakers, “Seigaku’s Momoshiro and Echizen’s pair. Gyokurin’s Izumi and Fukawa’s pair.” 

“Oh… that is interesting,” Hari grinned. “How much fun!”

“Hari-sempai?” Kachiro asked timidly. 

Fuji who was standing just in front of them turned to look at them and Hari was aware that he was looking at her behind his closed eyes. She just smiled thought and laughed. 

“This will be entertaining,” Hari smirked. “Looks like Ryo-chan already has managed to piss them off.” 

“AH-UN strategy?” Kikumaru blinked confusedly. “You heard of it?” 

“No,” Inui denied as he leaned against the low wall. 

Hari just smiled as the rest looked confused and talked about what kind of strategy it could be. Hari was curious herself to see how Ryoma and Momoshiro had worked to figure out their weakness from the last time they played. 

“You know, Hari-chan?” Fuji asked. 

“No,” Hari denied. “But I have an idea…” 

She refused to say anything more though. 

Hari wasn’t surprised to see that Izumi and Fukawa immediately tried to attack where they knew Ryoma and Momoshiro’s weak spot was. But she did blink at the strategy they had come up with and a laugh burst from her lips as she realised what the AH-UN strategy was. 

0-15

“A point right off the block!” 

“I knew Echizen could do it,” Horio commented superiorly making Hari smile slightly. 

“It won’t be that easy,” Hari commented without looking away from the match.

30-30

It soon turned out that it wasn’t that easy, and while they had covered their weakness in the middle (even if the shout was embarrassing as Kachiro commented) they hadn’t figured out the other aspects of doubles play. 

“Maybe I should have stayed back and watched them play,” Hari mumbled to herself. “Looks like they’re still not working together.” 

Hari sighed and shook her head as she looked around at the spectators. They were loud, Hari thought. 

“Game! Gyokurin 1-0!” 

 

“They look annoyed,” Hari observed casually. 

“You don’t look too worried,” Fuji commented. 

“They’ll come back,” Hari said. 

“You seem very sure about that, Hari-chan,” Kikumaru said looking over at her from where he was sitting on the bench. Hari was suddenly aware that the rest of the team was also hearing what she said, but she shrugged. 

“They wouldn’t want to lose to them twice,” Hari said with a small smirk.

They blinked and even Fuji looked a little surprised. 

“Twice?” Oishi asked. 

“They lost to them on a street court two days ago,” Hari said with a shrug. 

 

“Game! Gyokurin! 2-0!” 

 

“Ahcha! They’re turning against each other!” Horio cried. 

“Inui-sempai, to make a comeback now, what must they do?” Mizuno asked looking at Inui.

“There’s no way to beat the combo of Izumi and Fukawa right now,” Inui said. 

“They’re good, that Gyokurin-pair,” Kikumaru commented. 

“Hai,” Oishi agreed. 

“Don’t worry, it’s Echizen we’re talking about,” Horio said. “I’m sure he has something prepared for doubles.” 

Hari laughed making the others look at her with strange looks.

“Hari-sempai?” Kachiro asked. 

“Sorry,” Hari smiled, “but…don’t you know?” 

“Know what?” Kikumaru asked curiously. 

“Ryo-chan has only played doubles one time before this,” Hari said, “and that was two days ago when he lost against that Gyokurin-pair.” 

They stared at her shocked. 

“You’re kidding me!” Horio yelled. 

Hari laughed once more and smiled at them, “does it look like he is the type to share a court with anyone?” 

“You’ve got a point…” Kikumaru said. “Ochibi…” 

He looked worriedly out on the court while Hari smiled and rested her arms on the lower wall and stared at the court.

“There is one way they still can win,” Hari smiled. 

“Eh?” 

 

Hari watched as they still continued to self-destruct and even hitting each other at the back of the head, and she sighed. Ok, so she did find some amusement in this and she would definitely have more teasing material over the two, but it did start to get old and they really did need to win that match. She didn’t really want to see them lose and not like this. She wondered if they ever would see the way to go to secure the win. 

They stared at each other and Hari smiled when they suddenly went to each side and started to draw a line down the middle of the court. Finally. 

“Eh?” 

“What are they doing?” 

She heard the confusion and smiled. 

“That’s it,” she grinned. 

 

Hari laughed as she watched Ryoma and Momoshiro getting scolded by Ryuzaki after they won the match. 

“You look entirely too amused,” Fuji said. 

“Hai,” Hari agreed, glancing at him. “But then again…so do you.” 

He smiled wider. 

“Guess so,” he agreed. 

Hari looked away from him again and over at Ryoma who was looking embarrassed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? :) 
> 
> Hope to make up my mind about the pairing soon. Hopefully before the next chapter. So maybe last time to let me know what pairing you want :)   
> Fuji, Sanada or Yukimura?
> 
> I want to decide soon because I use too much time trying to make up my mind and I need to know because I want to plan out the story more. The pairing will decide what will happen and how it will happen. So... I need to make up my mind. OK, a rant about the pairing... you have no idea how difficult it is to choose. I never had that problem before... sigh. 
> 
> Japanese words used:  
> Maji ka yo - For real?  
> Chotto - wait  
> Sugoi - amazing  
> Arigatou - Thank you  
> Itee - ouch!


	8. A good team

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing! 
> 
> **parseltongue**  
> ...  
> ...  
>  The decision about the pairing in author note at the bottom :) Hope you'll like the final decision.

Hari tilted her head as she watched Tachibana Kippei talk with Mori Tatsunori and Uchimura Kyosuke after they had lost for Oishi and Kikumaru. She couldn’t hear what was said as she was too far away, but the fact that Tachibana got up and placed a hand on each of their shoulders and the fact that the two stood straighter without the slump they had just sported told Hari more than words ever could. 

He was a good Captain.

She could tell that Tachibana hadn’t just gotten her attention, but the journalist called Inoue’s as well. She had noticed that he had watched Tachibana a lot throughout the games and also right now was he observing the Fudomine Captain closely with a pensive look on his face. 

“He’s good,” Hari smiled. 

“Hari-sempai?” Sakuno blinked up at her making Hari realise that the other girl was standing close by her. “Who are you talking about?” 

“Tachibana-san,” Hari gave her a smile, “he’s good.” 

“You haven’t watched him play yet,” Horio exclaimed loudly, “how can you tell he’s good? And why are you complimenting another team!” 

“I’m not talking about his skills in tennis, though I’m sure he’s very skilled, I was talking about his leadership. It’s clear he has complete trust from his team and they’re close,” Hari said calmly. 

“He’s still not on our team so why are you watching him?” Horio asked with a frown. 

“Why not?” Hari challenged back before smirking. 

Horio blinked and looked kind of confused, but Hari looked away from him as she waited for the rain to give in. She sighed as she glanced up at the sky and wished for the clouds to disappear so that the games could continue. She got bored. She noticed that both Ryoma and Kaido were back again as well. 

Hari smirked when she picked up on Ryoma’s comments to Kaido and saw the annoyed look from the older boy. She ignored the wary looks from the first-years around her as she skipped over the low wall and made her way over to the bench that was right there. She leaned over Ryoma’s shoulder almost hugging him from behind. 

“I think you’re going to get attacked by a snake if you’re not more careful, Ryo-chan,” Hari smirked. 

“Hmph,” Ryoma huffed but smirked slightly. 

**“The authority intervenes the thunder,”** she heard Kaido hiss and had to ignore the laughter that built up as she recognised the hiss for what it was. It had become easier now that she was expecting to hear it. 

“Ka-chan!” Hari pulled away from Ryoma and turned toward Kaido who was blushing. 

The rest of the team was gaping or laughing (Momoshiro), but Hari skipped over to Kaido. 

“Don’t kill Ryo-chan, ok?” Hari smiled. 

**“The unit witness the brave sense,”** Kaido looked away from her determinedly. 

“Ah, don’t be like that,” Hari smiled. “Are you ready for the match?” 

“Of course,” he huffed glancing at her from the corner of his eyes. 

“I know,” Hari smiled tilting her head slightly.

“Wait!” Kikumaru waved his hands energetically as he stared at her. “You call him Ka-chan?” 

Kaido hissed again and hid his face from the others, Hari was fairly sure he was blushing. Her smile widened.

“Hai,” Hari looked at Kikumaru innocently, “so?” 

They all stared at her, but she ignored them.

Ryoma shook his head as he watched them, his surprise subsided before the others, and he turned back to looking bored. 

 

Kaido walked off without a word making the first years asked where he was going. Hari looked after him for a moment before she decided to follow him. She ignored the rain or the fact that she was getting wet as she followed him. 

“Hi,” Hari called as he had run back and forth the path a few times without seemingly noticing her, but he didn’t startle as she called out so she thought he must have seen her where she was standing underneath a tree. 

“What do you want?” he asked. 

“Nothing,” Hari shrugged before smiling slightly, “can I ask you something, Ka-chan?” 

He scowled but he didn’t start to run nor did he hiss so she took it as acceptance.

“Why do you play tennis?” Hari asked. 

He stared at her without answering for a moment before he let out a low hiss and Hari didn’t catch it to translate what he was saying. 

“I like tennis,” he eventually said before scowling but she could see he was sincere. “I don’t need more reasons.” 

He got back to running and Hari watched him until the sky suddenly cleared and the rain stopped. Kaido paused and stared up at the sky before he turned back toward the courts. It was time for his match. Hari followed close behind him more contemplative than before. 

 

She was a strange one, Kaido thought as he jogged back to the court occasionally glancing to Hari who was easily keeping up with him. He scowled when she met his eyes trying to hide his embarrassment from being caught looking at her. 

He wasn’t sure why she sought him out like she did, or why she had even started to call him by that ridiculous nickname! Normally other people, the girls especially, shied away from him because of his scary looks. Hari didn’t and he wasn’t really sure how to handle that or how he felt about it. He ignored the small voice in his mind that said he liked it. 

She was smiling and seemed playful a lot of the time, something told him that given enough time she would be showing more of her mischievousness. He dreaded the day. He really did. He had seen how she liked to tease Ryoma, and even him. Yet… there was something else there too. He glanced over at her again and saw the pensive frown on her face like she was trying to figure something out. He wondered if it had anything with her last question. There was something more to that question than just curiosity, Kaido was sure of it. Sadness lurked underneath her smile and it bothered him more than it should. She was just Ryoma’s crazy friend (he wouldn’t admit that she was his friend now too). 

Right, he had a match and he had to focus. Kaido let out a small hiss and immediately noticed the twitch of lips from Hari making him frown even more. What was with that? 

 

“Game and match! Seigaku, Kaido!” 

Hari had stayed with the first years and Inoue and Shiba as she had watched the match between Kaido and Kamio. It had been an intense match and Hari couldn’t help but stare at Kaido who had won by sheer determination and stamina. He looked muddy and sweaty, but happy in his own way making her really believe his words about playing tennis because he liked it. 

Just watching them had Hari see tennis in a new light, had her see the meaning of the word team in a new light; this entire day had proven to be an eye-opener for her. She had seen Ryoma play tennis before, she had seen Nanjiro play. She had even seen most of Seigaku play during practice, but it hadn’t been anything like this. She could now really see the intensity and love they had for the game. She wanted it. She wanted to be part of it and she felt her hands itch to grab a racket and start training. 

She had never felt like that when she played Quidditch. 

Not to get it wrong because Hari loved Quidditch. She did, but she wasn’t sure if she actually loved the sport or being able to fly the most. Not to mention that she had been pushed into it. She hadn’t actively gone out for a spot on the school team and decided for herself that she had wanted to play. She loved the game, but she had always felt that something was…off. The way she had gotten her spot left a bitter taste in her mouth, the whispers of favouritism and taunts followed her down the hallways. 

She remembered Hermione showing her the badge with her dad’s name written on it showing her that he had been on the house teams as well. She had thought it was a way to connect with him. Something that made him more real in her eyes, but she soon realised that everyone knew that James Potter had been a Quidditch player and that he had been good. 

She had given her best and worked hard to prove that she had earned the spot on the team, but she heard the whispers, she saw the looks. She knew the rest of the school thought it was unfair and thought she got special treatment because of her name and some even whispered that it was because professor McGonagall was so desperate for the Quidditch Cup that she had taken a bet on Hari and hoped that she was as good as her dad. 

But Seigaku… They really loved tennis that was what Hari thought as she stared at Kaido. But it wasn’t only him. It was all of them. Fuji, Kawamura, Oishi, Kikumaru…they all really loved tennis and they gave their all. Kawamura had even gotten injured taken a ball that was meant for Fuji and would for sure have injured the other boy. 

Hari glanced over at Fuji who was sitting beside Kikumaru looking like he normally did, smiling and eyes closed. Yet… he had been really different earlier. She hadn’t seen him like that before (not that she had known him for long). He had been serious; his clear blue eyes open and sharp as he had looked at Kawamura. She was unsure if anyone else saw the guilty look in those eyes or if she was the only one. Just by watching Fuji and Kawamura had Hari thinking that they really loved the game, and yet Fuji stopped it when he realised his friend, his partner, was hurt. 

There were no hard feelings from the others, only supporting smiles and comforting words.

Hari couldn’t help but wonder… wonder about her old Quidditch team. She couldn’t really see them acting like that with her. Her mind flashed to the first game back in her second year, when Wood told her to 'get the snitch or die trying'. She wasn’t entirely certain he hadn’t been serious when saying it. Only the twins had acted like it was a stupid thing to say.

Then there was the instance back in her first year when no one talked to her, and only referred to her as ‘the seeker’, because of some lost points and a detention that almost got them killed (not that they knew that, but still…) It hurt that they so easily just turned their back on her, just when she had started to trust them and enjoy playing with them. 

The next year Hari had worked harder, even refusing to let a rough bludger stop her and ending up with no bones in her left arm (well, that was thanks to Lockhart and she was so not going into him right now). 

And this year she had lost a match for the first time and she had seen the disappointed looks, the dejected faces as they mumbled it was okay and Wood refusing to get out of the shower for a long time. The fact that she had faced Dementors and heard her mum die in her mind was not something they cared about. Then there was the fact that Wood (the others hadn’t protested) told her that she had to get her reaction to the Dementors under control or she couldn’t be on the team anymore. She was thirteen. Thirteen and they wanted her to learn a charm so difficult even adult wizards and witches had trouble learning it. She had, though. She’d learned. She had pushed herself through the torture of listening to her parents’ death over and over again, and for what? For someone who threatened to turn their backs on her if she didn't. 

Hari glanced over at Oishi and Kikumaru who had played well and proven too strong for their opponents from Fudomine, and Hari could only think that Fred and George could be the closest she’d seen as synchronized as Oishi and Kikumaru was. Yet, Fred and George were different from the golden pair. 

And now finally Kaido, who even had somehow managed to hit a new kind of ball that had been quickly named a Boomerang Snake. Fitting, Hari thought. It had been a tough match for him but he had won. 

“-ri-sempai? Hari-sempai?” a voice far away seemed to interfere with her thoughts and she realised that she had been spacing out. 

“Eh?” Hari blinked and saw the freshmen trio staring at her with worried looks on their faces.

“Are you ok?” Kachiro asked. 

“Um, I…yeah,” Hari said smiling up at him and pushing the thoughts away the best she could. “Just got lost in thoughts.” 

She wasn’t sure why she had started to think about Quidditch, or why the memories involving Quidditch had dragged her away from the reality. She looked around quickly and was pleased to see that no one else seemed to have noticed her spacing out. 

She looked back at the trio who was still staring at her with a worried look on their face and she gave them another smile and tilted her head slightly as she looked at them. 

“I’m fine,” Hari said 

“If you’re sure,” Mizuno said turning away from her and she let her smile slip off her face as she looked back at the tennis courts where Kaido was getting off the court. 

Sighing, Hari barely noticed that the team talking around her. Why had she thought about Quidditch again? Right…she had thought that she loved it, but she didn’t think it was anything to the way Ryoma and his friends loved tennis. If asked what they wanted they would say play tennis. Hari knew it, and while she had been practising tennis by herself lately she missed that feeling. She missed the commitment she saw in the others. Would it be possible for her to find it? 

 

“Hari?” This time it was Ryoma who was looking at her with a worried frown on his face. 

“Ryo-chan,” Hari smiled at him. “You’re playing next?” 

“Yeah,” he nodded, “are you okay?” 

“I’m fine,” she assured him. “Don’t worry about me, Ryo-chan. I just got lost in thoughts, I’ll tell you later.” 

He still looked slightly worried but he nodded accepting it. She reached out and patted his shoulder. 

“I can’t wait to see you play,” Hari grinned happily at him. “Show them what you got.” 

“Of course,” he smirked back letting his excitement for the game show making her smile more warmly at him. She pushed her earlier thoughts away, she was here and she was watching Ryoma play tennis and that was enough for her. She could figure the rest out later because she wasn’t going to miss out on the chance to watch her (new) brother play tennis. 

She saw the one she had collided with earlier that day getting ready from Fudomine and tilted her head as she watched him. He was strong, she was sure about that. Yet, she was not entirely sure just how strong or how much of a challenge he would give Ryoma. 

 

“All we have to do is win 3 matches,” Hari heard Oishi say. “Win this one and we’re champions! Go get them, Echizen!” 

“Go, Ryoma-kun!” 

“Go, Echizen!” 

Hari smiled as she heard the team cheer for Ryoma who looked calm and not nervous at all as he was lined up and ready for his first official singles game for Seigaku. Though she smiled to herself, it wasn’t like it was his first singles match ever. He had probably played more than most of the others on this team. 

“It’s finally Ryoma-kun’s official singles debut,” Shiba gushed. 

“Don’t just stand there;” Inoue said glancing at her, “make sure you take his pictures.” 

“I know,” Shiba said as she started to take pictures. 

Hari turned her attention back to the court and to Ibu, the one she had collided with, who was standing looking calm yet moody. She couldn’t help it, but he really did look moody. She was curious about how good he was, the murmurs from the crowd could suggest that he was a strong player. 

Hari laughed delighted as she saw and heard the stunned crowd as they took in the twist serve Ryoma just had performed. She felt herself lighten up slightly as she watched Ryoma who was cockily bouncing a ball as he looked up at the referee like the crowd or Fudomine bench wasn’t staring at him shocked. 

“Hi! I’m still waiting for the call,” Ryoma called out. 

The referee shook himself out of his stupor and called out, “15-0.” 

30-0 – another twist serve. 

“Go, Echizen!” 

“What just happened?” 

“That’s freshman’s this strong?” 

“Who said that Seigaku’s second singles match was a mercy match!” 

Hari heard the crowd but she didn’t turn away from the match as she smiled pleased. 

“You look pleased,” a calm voice interrupted her thoughts and she saw Inui stopping beside her. His glasses glinting in the sub, and she briefly wondered what kind of glasses he used to hide his eyes so well, her own didn’t hide her green eyes at all. 

“Oh?” Hari looked back at the match. 

“My data tells me that you know more about tennis than we are led to think,” Inui stated. 

Hari smirked before she blanked her face and glanced over at Inui who was looking at her with a curious look on his face. 

“I’m afraid I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Hari answered smiling innocently.

“My data never lies,” he said. 

“Hm,” Hari shrugged. 

40-0. 

Hari blinked when she saw the way Ibu moved like he was actually going to try to counter the serve, she leaned forward slightly as she watched almost unconsciously. 

“He’s really going to do it…” Hari muttered. 

He did it and he countered the twist serve, and Hari started to smile as she realised that this match really wasn’t going to be easy for Ryoma. She always enjoyed watching him play when he had to work for it, and she knew he liked to be challenged as well. 

Of course, Ryoma managed to counter again and got the last point that won him the game. 

 

“Seeing his eyes takes me back,” Ryuzaki commented making Hari look over at her where she was sitting on the bench watching the match. She had a small smile on her face as she watched Ryoma and looked like she was seeing something no one else saw. 

“Good start, Ryoma,” Ryuzaki said. “The opponent is probably having a nightmare. But you can wake up. That’s when things turn critical.” 

“It’s good that he can be calm like that,” Fuji said. 

“It’s good to feel nervous sometimes as well, though,” Kikumaru said. 

Hari smiled again thinking that they were a good team and she felt a stab of longing and sadness for her own, but she pushed it away again as she turned to look at Ryoma. She had him and she was getting back into playing tennis. 

“Eh,” Hari blinked.

“What?” Inui said. 

“Ibu-san is talking to himself again,” Hari said tilting her head as she looked at him. He had done that when she had collided with him as well. She frowned. “He’s more dangerous now…” 

Inui looked down at his notebook and started to write, but Hari didn’t pay him any attention as she kept looking at Ibu. She couldn’t hear what he was saying, but the look in his eyes told her enough. He was not as shaken as many would like to think. Ryoma hadn’t won the match yet. 

 

“Huh,” was all Hari said.

So he could do it too… she really shouldn’t be as surprised as she felt. She glanced over at Tachibana who was seated on the bench and looked calm and confident. But, there was something different about his serve, Hari thought. 

“Of course there are other players beside Ryo-chan who can do it,” Hari said having heard Sakuno’s question and glanced over at the younger girl. “Though, I must admit that I am surprised to find another one at this level…” 

“You’re still hiding something from me,” Ibu said loud enough that Hari heard him. 

“So he knows…” Hari smiled. 

“Knows?” Sakuno asked timidly. 

“That Ryoma’s not playing with his best hand,” Hari answered. 

Ryoma smirked before he shifted his racket from his right hand and over to his left.

Hari laughed again seeing the shock and this time even Tachibana showed a reaction. It was so much fun to watch the others get surprised like this. She saw the excited looks from Seigaku who knew very well that Ryoma was normally a left-handed player, but the shock from Fudomine was the best part. 

 

“That boy is identical to his dad,” Ryuzaki commented as they watched Ryoma and Ibu rally. 

“Oh, yeah,” Hari suddenly said making the regulars look over at her as she leaned against the low wall staring at Ryuzaki. “You’re Nanjiro’s old coach, right?” 

“Nanjiro…?” Oishi looked confused. “Echizen’s dad?” 

“Ah,” Ryuzaki nodded looking over at Hari. “Has he been talking about me?” 

Hari grinned, “he calls you ‘the old hag’.” 

Ryuzaki huffed annoyed, “that lazy brat.” 

“But you were the one who got him to become a pro,” Hari said. “He told me.” 

“Echizen’s father was a pro?” Oishi looked shocked. 

Hari looked at him and noticed that even Tezuka was paying attention now. She shared a look with Ryuzaki before she smiled. 

“What kind of player was he? Was he an attack specialist like Echizen-san?” Oishi asked. 

“He doesn’t have the word ‘endure’ in his vocabulary,” Ryuzaki said, “all he knew was how to attack. He is unbelievable. He had natural tennis sense along with speed and power. Above all, he had a unique way of absorbing knowledge.” 

“Eh?” Hari blinked at him as if she was confused. “You mean you haven’t connected Ryo-chan’s last name yet? Echizen Nanjiro is Ryo-chan’s dad. Ryo-chan learned all he knows from ou-, Nanjiro.” 

She frowned as she almost slipped and said ‘otousan’, but she wasn’t quite able to use the term for him. She wasn’t sure he would welcome it nor if she felt comfortable addressing him as ‘otousan’, even if she caught herself almost doing so in her mind both for him and Rinko. 

“He really exceeded all of my expectations,” Ryuzaki added not noticing Hari spacing out. 

Hari tuned out the rest of their conversation as she focused on Ryoma again, but her mind wouldn’t quite let go of the almost slip of the tongue. Could it be that she really was starting to view Ryoma’s parents as her own..? She fisted her hands. 

She watched as Ryoma and Ibu continued to play and took once more comfort in Ryoma’s play. 

 

Hari glanced down at Sakuno who looked so happy and awed as she stared at Ryoma. Hari couldn’t help but smile as she saw the look. 

“Having fun, Sakuno-chan?” Hari asked. 

“Mm!” Sakuno nodded not taking her eyes off Ryoma. “He looks like he’s having fun!” 

Hari looked back at Ryoma who looked determined.

“He does,” Hari agreed. “You learn anything from watching him, Sakuno-chan?” 

“Eh? What do you mean?” Sakuno asked. 

“Well, you joined the tennis team, right?” Hari asked. 

“Hai,” Sakuno nodded confused. 

“Watching Ryo-chan play should be a good opportunity to learn more about tennis,” Hari told the younger girl. She always learned more by watching Ryoma play. 

Sakuno looked thoughtful so Hari let her be as she focused back on Ryoma. 

“4-1, Echizen lead!”

 

While Hari heard the others talk relaxed and all she was not so sure it was quite over yet, her eyes focused on Ibu who looked more determined and she wondered… her eyes shifted over to Tachibana and while he looked thoughtful and maybe a little worried he didn’t look quite as worried as Hari would have thought he would. It was like he thought Ibu had something more…something else. But he did look at Ryoma with something in his eyes that had Hari believe he was surprised that he actually was this good. 

Hari noticed the shift in Tachibana’s expression and he suddenly looked…worried? No, that wasn’t quite right, stunned or surprised was more like it. Hari looked back to the game and saw the smile on Ibu’s lips making her frown. Just what was he doing? She heard Fuji say something about topspin and backhand, but she didn’t pay him any attention as she stared at Ibu. 

“What?” Hari mumbled before frowning. 

That was a ball Ryoma normally would have caught. Then why hadn’t he? She looked at Ryoma who was opening and closing his hand while he stared at it like he couldn’t quite believe what he saw or what had just happened. 

They continued like that for a little while and Hari could see Ryoma getting frustrated by his sudden inability to move making him unable to return the ball.

That’s when it happened. 

Her breath caught as she watched Ryoma twist his body to return the ball, which would have been a creative and brilliant way to counter the move from Ibu, only…his grip was loose and he lost his grip on the racket.

Hari froze, unable to move even as she watched the racket flew out of his hand and collide with the pole before breaking into pieces and the handle flew back toward Ryoma. 

Do something! Her mind screamed at her as she watched horrified, her magic reached out on its own and she was barely aware that it happened. 

But it was too late, her magic only managed to move the handle of the racket slightly higher avoiding the eye but still hit him just below his eyebrow. 

Hari didn’t hear the murmurs from the crowd or Sakuno sobbing next to her, she didn’t see Ryuzaki stand from the bench or hear the others murmur Ryoma’s name, she didn’t hear or see any of it as she stared at Ryoma and the blood. All the blood… flashes of blood and a snake crossed her mind, as well as chess set and Ron’s unconscious figure, but she pushed it out. She fisted her hands as she did her best to push the memories away. 

Ryoma….Ryoma was fine, Hari told herself in her mind, he was conscious. He was fine. He was right there and she could see him move and breathe… her breath slowed some and she felt herself calm down slightly as she kept her eyes on her brother.

Ryoma was sitting down on his knees leaned forward slightly and he was holding a hand over his eyes and blood was running freely past his fingers and down his hand dripping to the ground creating puddles of blood. 

A movement at her side had her shaken out of her horror and frozen state and she suddenly realised that Sakuno was jumping over the low wall running toward Ryoma. Hari didn’t think as she jumped over the wall and easily caught Sakuno around the middle stopping her from entering the court. 

“Let go of me!” Sakuno cried. “Ryoma-kun!” 

Hari didn’t let go even when the girl thrashed about in her arms, but Hari was stronger. 

“Let go of me!” Sakuno cried again. “I have to help Ryoma-kun!” 

Hari tensed even more and gritted her teeth as she pulled the girl farther away from Ryoma. 

“Ryo-chan won’t like it,” Hari said. 

“But…but he has to get to the hospital,” Sakuno protested. 

“…” Hari watched as Ryoma got to his feet again and picked up his cap from the ground and hit it against his leg to dust off the dirt from it. He glanced at Hari and she swallowed as she saw the blood still running. 

“Look! He’s really hurt!” Sakuno exclaimed and fought to break free from Hari. “Don’t you even care?!”

Sakuno felt how Hari’s arm around her waist tensed even more and looked to see her clenching her hand so hard that her knuckles were white. She managed to turn to look up at Hari’s face and saw the tight look on her face and how pale she looked. 

Why had she stopped her when Hari looked like she wanted to run over to Ryoma as well? Hari must want to rush over to him even more than what she would, Sakuno realised, but she didn’t. She even kept Sakuno from doing it. But why? Just because Ryoma wouldn’t like it?

“Calm down, Sakuno,” Ryuzaki said having paused beside them. She frowned at her granddaughter and Sakuno opened her mouth to say something. “It’s not that Hari-san doesn’t care, but she understands that it’s an insult to the player if the fans start to heckle you during a match.” 

“But…” 

“No, if you’re my granddaughter you should remember that;” Ryuzaki said giving her a stern look before looking over at Hari for a moment. “We’ll take care of him.” 

She walked over to Ryoma and told him they would see if they could stop the bleeding. 

Hari let go of Sakuno and followed Ryoma and Ryuzaki over to the bench without saying anything else to the younger girl who was left standing there staring after them. 

“Here,” Hari said taking the pads from Oishi who was about to try to stop the bleeding. 

“You sure?” Oishi asked giving her a worried look. 

“Yes,” Hari nodded.

She started to clean the wound and luckily saw that there was nothing wrong with the eyeball, but the wound was deep and blood continued to run. She frowned slightly as she tossed another blood-soaked bandage away and grabbed a new one. 

She wished she could heal like Madam Pomphrey, but then again she would have trouble hiding it from the muggles around them. She frowned slightly as she did the best she could with muggle means, at least she had learned some first aid over the years. 

“The bleeding won’t stop,” Hari finally said. “The eyeball is not hurt at all, the damage is to the eyelid.” 

She held a bandage to the wound to give some pressure to it and hopefully stop the bleeding. 

“How is it, Echizen-san?” Tezuka asked making Hari look up to see the Captain looking at her. He looked worried. 

“Well…” Hari started. 

“Oy! Echizen! I’m going to put your broken racket in your bag!” Momoshiro interrupted what Hari was about to say. 

“Momo-sempai!” Ryoma called. 

“Eh?” 

“Take out the spare while you’re at it,” Ryoma said. 

Hari looked at him and met his eye when he opened it to look at her, she ignored the reactions from the others as she kept her focus on Ryoma. 

“Hari?” Ryoma said. “You can do something, right?” 

She frowned, but he met her eyes with a pleading look on his own. 

“It’s absurd to play with such an injury!” Oishi exclaimed. 

“Don’t force yourself,” Inui added, “it’s too much of a handicap.” 

Hari ignored them as she looked at Ryoma who met her eyes with a determined look in the one he could open. She heard the referee say something about not letting him play if he couldn’t stop the bleeding. 

“I’ll play!” Ryoma said wiping the wound after Hari let go of him. 

“Honestly,” Hari muttered making the others look at her. She turned to Ryuzaki.“Ryuzaki-sensei,” she said making the coach arch a brow at her. “If I can stop the bleeding will you allow him to play?” 

“You can do it?” Ryuzaki asked. 

“I’ve treated enough small injuries like this before, so yeah,” Hari nodded. “I can stop the bleeding for a little while at least.” 

Ryuzaki gave her a look before she nodded. 

Hari turned to Ryoma who smiled at her. 

“You’re being stubborn, Ryo-chan,” Hari muttered. 

“You’re one to talk,” Ryoma shot back making Hari smile slightly. 

“Sit down, Ryo-chan,” Hari sighed and when he did she got to work. “This will hurt, Ryo-chan.” 

He grimaced but nodded. 

Five minutes later she pulled back and revealed Ryoma with a bandage covering his left eye. 

“Well, that should work,” Hari said. “But I still think you need to see a hea-, I mean a doctor, but the bandage should hold for about ten minutes.” 

Hari stood back and watched as Oishi stopped Momoshiro from giving Ryoma the racket, the Vice-Captain didn’t say anything as he stared at Ryoma. Before he could say anything, though, Tezuka grabbed the racket from Momoshiro who blinked at him but the Captain ignored him and focused his eyes on Ryoma. 

“Ten minutes,” he said. “If you haven’t finished it in ten minutes you will forfeit.” 

“Tezuka!” Oishi protested. 

“Got it?” Tezuka stayed focused on Ryoma. 

“More than enough time,” Ryoma smirked as he grabbed the racket. 

Even when they let him play they looked worried and it was clear to Hari that many of them would prefer if Ryoma didn’t play, but they allowed it. She saw the worried looks and again thought they were a good team. 

Hari smiled slightly as Kaido threw Ryoma his cap still looking angry, but the concern and support was clear in his action. She walked over to Ryoma and looked at him for a moment before she reached out and ruffled his hair. 

“Hari!” Ryoma protested swatting at her hand with a glare. 

“If you get injured again I will personally drag you off the court, Ryo-chan,” she smiled at him but he swallowed and nodded. “Have fun, Ryo-chan.” 

 

“Are you ok, Hari-san?” Oishi asked when Ryoma entered the court again.

Hari glanced at the other boy and saw the worried look on his face as he watched her. 

“Hai,” she said.

“You’re pale,” Oishi fretted. “Perhaps you should sit down.” 

Hari shook her head, “I’m fine, Oishi-sempai. Sorry to worry you.” 

“But…” Oishi frowned.

“It was just a shock seeing Ryo-chan injured like that,” Hari said quietly and clenched her hands. “I…” 

She had felt helpless. She had wanted to do something to prevent her first friend, now brother, from getting injured. Yet, she hadn’t been able to do anything other than watch and then help him get back out there. Perhaps she wasn’t any better than her friends from her Quidditch team. Did she only care for Ryoma winning the game? 

No, that wasn’t why she had helped him. It was because it had been what Ryoma had wanted and she knew he was stubborn, more so than her. She hadn’t been able to fight the determination she saw in his eyes when he looked at her. He wasn’t only doing this for himself, Hari knew. He was doing it for his team and his friends. She hadn’t been able to ignore it. 

“He’s fine,” Momoshiro said nudging her shoulder, “didn’t you patch him up, Hari-chan?” 

Hari nodded but she still felt a little tense, but there was nothing more to do now. 

 

Hari didn’t really notice that she remained with the regulars as Ryoma continued his match, but Momoshiro and Kaido stood beside her seemed to give her support or something. She smiled slightly as she took in the awed looks as the crow realised that Ryoma was still strong and his speed had increased. 

15-0.

Still as cocky as ever, Hari thought fondly slowly coming out of her own thoughts as she heard Ryoma make a comment to Ibu who looked annoyed. 

 

Ryoma was struggling. It was painful to watch and Hari bit down on her lip was she watched him miss yet another ball. She could clearly see that the mental stress was also getting to him, and she was not surprised. It would be too much for anyone, but she had faith that Ryoma would figure it out.

“Is this really okay, Tezuka?” Hari heard Oishi ask. “Wouldn’t it be better to take him out of the game?” 

“Don’t worry,” Tezuka said making Hari glance over at him to see him looking determinedly at Ryoma and she saw the belief he held in Ryoma in his eyes, yet there was also something like calculation there as well. He was testing something, Hari was sure of it. 

“Tezuka!” Oishi exclaimed. 

“It’s fine, Oishi-sempai,” Hari spoke up making him look over at her. “Ryo-chan will figure it out soon.” 

“Hari-chan…” Oishi frowned.

Hari smiled at him, “look.” 

She looked back to Ryoma and knew Oishi did the same and they both saw that Ryoma had started to jump up and down as he waited for Ibu to serve. 

“Ne, sorry to bother you while you talk,” Ryoma called out making Hari smile hearing the arrogant tone in his voice, “but can you hurry up and serve? I have to beat you in a little over three minutes.” 

She saw the annoyed look that crossed Ibu’s face before he served the ball, but this time Ryoma returned it. They hit the ball back and forth a few times. 

“I don’t like the balls that go up and down,” Ryoma said, “but I’ve found two weak spots to your strategy.” 

“Nani?” Ibu exclaimed as he returned the ball. 

“Have you ever used it against a Nitouryuu player before?” Ryoma asked before tossing the racket from his left hand to his right. 

“There,” Hari smiled and noticed that even Tezuka showed a moment of surprise even as he covered it up again soon. “That’s it.” 

 

“This is crazy, how can anyone anticipate the direction of the ball and switch hands?” Ishida asked making Tachibana frown in thought before his eyes went wide as he saw the way the freshman’s feet moved. 

One-footed split step! Tachibana felt the shock hit him. Just who was this kid?! What reflexes he had. Tachibana couldn’t help but admire the kid, even if he was on the other team, but that didn’t mean that he didn’t want Ibu to beat him. 

He could see that Ibu was struggling, he couldn’t hit his topspin and that was all down to the fact that Ryoma had managed to seal his move and effectively ruin his spot.

“Amazing,” An gasped. 

“He’s sealed Shinji’s spot? What a guy, despite the injury,” Kamio said. 

“Seigaku’s Echizen Ryoma,” Tachibana said. 

Ryoma won the game and had only one more to win before he would win the match, Tachibana though, but that didn’t mean it would be easy. Ibu was the kind who would fight with everything he got. 

He noticed the worried calls for the freshman from the Seigaku’s side of the crowd and quickly saw the reason why. He was bleeding again. Tachibana sighed sadly as he wondered what the other team would do, but he didn’t think they would pull him out.

He glanced over at the other bench and noticed that the girl they had met earlier, the one who had collided with Ibu and An had called Hari, was standing up with a tense posture and her hands fisted together as she stared intently at Ryoma. 

He also noticed that the one Kamio had played, Kaido, was awkwardly patting her shoulder making her shoot him a small smile before looking back at the match. He hadn’t really been shocked to see her again, she had said she was with Seigaku, but he had been surprised when he realised she was somehow connected with Ryoma. It was clear from the way they interacted, and Tachibana had to admit that he was curious. 

“Hari-chan looks worried,” An commented.

“I wonder how she knows the kid,” Kamio added a small frown on his face, “she did look rather pale when he got hurt, but she still stopped that other girl from rushing onto the court.” 

Tachibana didn’t say anything, but he had also seen the fear and worry in her green eyes that were still enchanting even behind the glasses she wore. Her auburn hair was framing her face making it look even paler in comparison. 

“…” Tachibana blinked. That last smash was just like a twist serve. He had never seen anything like it before. He let out a soft sigh.

“Game and match, Seigaku, Echizen!” 

They had lost. It stung, but they had done their best and he was sure they had learned a lot from this game.

 

Tachibana watched his team feeling proud as they talked with Seigaku and didn’t seem to be too down from their loss. Though, he was sure they were all disappointed. 

“Ryo-chan!” Hari suddenly appeared and attached herself to Ryoma’s neck making Tachibana pause as he looked at them. 

“Hari…” Ryoma sighed but didn’t move to shake her off. 

“You made me worry, baka,” she turned to look up at him her head resting on his shoulder.

“I’m sorry,” Ryoma said and Tachibana arched a brow, he didn’t seem like the type too actually apologize to anyone. 

“Echizen-kun, I feel bad about the injury to your eye,” Ibu spoke up making both Hari and Ryoma look up and stare at them. “Are you okay? But that wasn’t even my fault. Ah, I see now, you did that to yourself, I’m absolutely sure. On purpose…I’m getting tired of this…” 

Hari blinked as the last parts of the sentence was more like mumbles to himself but they could clearly hear what he was saying. 

“Shinji!” Tachibana interrupted sharply. 

“Sorry,” Ibu said. 

“Mada mada dane,” Ryoma said as he lowered his head and pulled at his cap (or the best he could manage with Hari still attached around his neck). 

“You did well today,” Hari smiled at them, though, her eyes lingered a little longer on Ibu before she looked back at Tachibana. “I look forward to seeing you play again, Tachibana-san.” 

“Thank you,” Tachibana said.

“Hari, let go of me already!” Ryoma finally sighed, “you’re heavy.” 

“I can’t believe you just called me heavy,” Hari pouted at him but she let go and instead grabbed his cap and put it on her own head.

“Hari!” Ryoma snapped. “Give it back!” 

Tachibana blinked as they both disappeared down the path, Hari running in front of Ryoma with his cap still on her head and he was sure he saw her sticking her tongue out at him as well. She was an odd one, he thought, but he couldn’t help but feel intrigued. She was hiding something he was sure, he wondered if she played tennis at all. 

“Sorry about them,” a voice said and he looked to the side to see the rest of Seigaku’s regulars standing there. 

“It’s fine,” Tachibana said. 

They stared at each other for a moment and Tachibana met Tezuka’s eyes. He was strong and it was too bad they didn’t have a chance to play, but there would be other opportunities. Tachibana was sure about that. 

 

Hari smiled relieved when the doctor cleared Ryoma and said he was fine, she felt lighter as she followed Ryoma and Ryuzaki as well as Sakuno out of the hospital and to their next location. Neither she nor Ryoma talked much as they did.

“Eh? Sushi?” Ryoma asked when they stopped in front of a sushi place. A note saying it was sold out was hanging on the door. 

“Hurry,” Ryuzaki urged.

Ryoma gave a sigh before he slid the door open and the noise from the tennis team hit them and Hari could see the chaos going on inside, Momoshiro and Kikumaru standing for most of the noise (no surprise there). 

Ryoma closed the door and turned to walk away making Hari’s lips twitch amused. Before he could get more than one step away the door was slid open again and Momoshiro was there grabbing Ryoma’s collar and yanking him inside. 

Hari followed with a small laugh. 

She looked around and saw that it was a nice Sushi restaurant and looked to be quite traditional, she saw one man standing behind the counter looking like the owner. He did look familiar, Hari thought. 

“Where is this?” Hari asked. 

“It’s my family restaurant,” Kawamura answered having appeared next to her. 

“Oh,” Hari blinked surprised. “It’s very nice.” 

“Thank you,” Kawamura smiled shyly but looked pleased, “that’s my dad over there. I help him run it when I have time. I want to learn how to make Sushi like he does. Oh…I’m sorry.” 

“Why are you sorry?” Hari asked confused she had enjoyed hearing him talk, she hadn’t really talked much with him before. 

“I didn’t mean to go on about it,” Kawamura said rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. “You’re probably not interested.” 

“Eh? I’m interested,” Hari smiled at him. “I think it sounds really fun. I cooked for my relatives before, it was some of the only things I enjoyed doing at their place. Is it hard to make Sushi?” 

Kawamura looked surprised for a moment before he smiled more warmly and started to talk about making Sushi making Hari lean forward slightly as she listened. 

“Maybe you could teach me one day?” Hari asked hopefully. “It sounds really great.” 

“Sure,” he said. 

Hari found that she enjoyed herself as the party continued. She did keep close to Ryoma, but that was mostly because she was still worried about him even if she had relaxed some, but she did talk with the rest of the team and found that they were quite fun. 

They could also create more chaos than the Gryffindor’s after a win for the Quidditch game and that was saying something. In the centre of the chaos was mostly Kikumaru and Momoshiro, not that Hari was surprised by that. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok... first of all, I'm sorry for the wait! I really didn't mean for it to be two weeks! I must admit that I struggled a little with this chapter. Wasn't sure how I wanted to do it or where to focus, and I'm not 100% happy with it, but it's good enough. I have decided to deviate from my original plan on only using Hari's point of view because I found that I wanted to show other POV as well, so as you noticed you got some insight from other characters as well in this chapter. 
> 
> Now, about the pairing for this story. I have made my decision and I must say; it was unbelievably difficult to make up my mind and decide who I wanted to pair Hari with. I wanted them all, but unfortunately, I can't do that. I had to pick one. A reviewer asked in one of the comments over at fanfiction.net about what kind of pairing I believed I could write the best. I liked that, and I spent time thinking and trying to plan. It was also difficult because only Fuji has shown up so far in the story and I haven't actually gotten to write scenes where Hari interact with Sanada or Yukimura yet. 
> 
> Before I tell you who the pairing will be I want to thank you all for letting me know who you wanted for Hari in a pairing. I can't thank you enough and I really wished I could make all of you happy and say that I picked your pairing. I really liked reading the reasons some of you gave and it was really helpful. So, THANK YOU! :) 
> 
> The final pairing will be: Hari/Yukimura.   
> The reason for this is mostly because I really like his character and I can picture him with Hari really well. Also, I decided that I wanted to pair her with someone who wasn't on her team or her school. I believe he and Hari will fit together well. Not to mention that I can't help but think about Seigaku's reaction to Hari dating and join Ryoma in overprotective brother act.   
> (I might have Hari dating someone else before Yukimura, haven't decided that yet). 
> 
> Ok, thank you so much for reading and hope you'll keep reading! I will try not to let it go two weeks before the next update. :)
> 
> Japanese words used:  
> Otousan - dad  
> Hai - yes  
> Nani - what  
> Nitouryuu - a player who can use both hands  
> baka - fool


	9. Getting lost...again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing!

“Miss? Miss?” 

Hari blearily opened her eyes to find a train conductor standing over her with a polite smile on his lined face. She jerked up slightly as she looked around herself. 

“Eh?” Hari mumbled. 

“We’re at the end stop now, miss,” the man said. 

“End…station?” Hari repeated. 

“Yes, miss, we’re at Chiba station now,” the man said. “You have to get off.” 

He continued down the train and she realised that she was one of the last people on the train and one more thing…Chiba. She had no idea where Chiba even was and now she was there? 

“Maji de,” Hari sighed as she grabbed her racket bag and got off the train. It was mildly busy with people buzzing around and she looked around trying to gather herself as she realised that she was lost. 

Okay. She was seriously starting to consider that she might have a problem. Though, she would never admit that to Ryoma. Not a chance she would admit that to him. She stared at the large sign reading: CHIBA. 

She had been downtown Tokyo meeting Hisakawa from Magical Child Service and worked out more about her homeschooling and how she was going to meet up with a tutor now and then for some part of the schedule. Then she was supposed to take a train back home and where she was going to meet Ryoma and Momoshiro for a fun day with tennis. 

Only now she somehow found herself in Chiba. Chiba…ok, repeating it in her head wouldn’t change the fact. She had to get back.

She was hopeless, Hari sighed to herself. How could she board the wrong train and not even notice it when the train conductor came to check the ticket? Wait, had he checked her ticket? She had been tired because she hadn’t slept much the night before. So, she had fallen asleep against her efforts of staying awake. Had he just let her sleep? She couldn’t remember… 

So, now she had to find the ticket box and find out when the train back to Tokyo left. 

 

Three hours, Hari mused. Three hours until the next train to Tokyo left and she was now stuck here for at least three hours. She really had bad luck. She was already bored where she sat on an uncomfortable plastic chair in the noisy waiting room. A small child was crying in the corner and a young couple argued in the other corner making Hari close to losing her mind. She was already tired and snappy because of her lack of sleep. 

Finally, she’d had enough and grabbed her racket bag and left the waiting room and the station altogether. She felt the fresh air hit her as she moved outside and she felt slightly better. She would take a walk and clear her mind as she waited for the time to pass. 

She walked and walked and noticed that the buildings grew farther apart as she did, and she looked around curiously. She had (obviously) never been here before and maybe this was a chance to look see more of Japan. 

She noticed a tennis court and smiled to herself as she made her way over to it. It was empty so she put her bag down and pulled out her racket and tennis ball. She bounced the ball on the racket and smiled lightly. 

Her mind went back to the last week when she had joined the girl’s tennis team the first day after the tournament and she had been welcomed warmly enough, but…

 

_-Flashback-_

_“Everyone! This is Echizen Hari,” Yoshida Satomi introduced Hari to the team. “Please treat her well!”_

_Hari bowed to them as they yelled the appropriate: “Hai!”_

_“Echizen?” another girl asked leaning forward slightly, “any relation to Echizen Ryoma?”_

_“Hai,” Hari deadpanned._

_“How?” yet another girl asked._

_“He’s my brother,” Hari said without explaining or commenting when she saw the doubtful looks they exchanged. They didn’t need to know and Hari wasn’t going to explain it when she didn’t know them._

_“Um, right,” Yoshida said breaking the awkward silence that stretched. “Like I told you, I’m the Captain and that is Hashimoto Haruka, the vice-captain. Ueda Sora is the girl next to her and also one of the regulars.”_

_Hari nodded and bowed her head to them since they were her seniors._

 

_“So…don’t you think Fuji is cute?”_

_“I know! His eyes are so amazing… did you see them last time?”_

_“…I really like Tezuka-Captain… he’s so stern and mature!”_

_Hari glanced at the gushing girls and their rackets that still was lying unused on the ground. She sighed as she tightened her grip on her own racket and started to do the swing practice they had been told to do._

 

_“Do you want to come to the mall with me today?” Ueda Sora asked._

_“Mall? Yes!” Fukui grinned. “I really need a new skirt.”_

_“You have a new date with your boyfriend?” Matsuoka asked joining in on the conversation._

_“Hai! He’s taking me to a new restaurant,” Fukui squealed._

_Hari ran past them and ignored the looks she received as she continued on her way around the courts on her own. She pushed herself harder as she passed another group of girls that was jogging while talking together._

 

_“She’s not very social, is she?” Yamamato Hanoko whispered to Yoshida._

_“…” Yoshida said nothing but Hari could feel her eyes on her back, but she pretended that she couldn’t hear what they were saying._

_“I mean… she’s always running or doing the exercises,” Yamamato continued. “I mean, that is good but she could take the time to actually talk with us too. She’s acting like she’s too good for us or something.”_

_“She’s dedicated to tennis,” Yoshida said._

_“It’s not like she’ll be playing, though,” Yamamato snorted. “She’s not even a regular and just a new girl.”_

_“Hey, she’s good,” Yoshida said a little sharply. “I would have liked it if more of you showed the same dedication to practice like she does.”_

_“What…” Yamamato trailed off shocked._

_Hari looked down at her shoes and leaned down to tie her shoelaces like she hadn’t just overheard that conversation._

_\- End Flashback -_

__

 

__

Well, it was really clear to Hari that they didn’t share her interest or love for tennis. It was clear that most of them were in it because it got them closer to the boys. She was…disappointed. She would admit that Yoshida was slightly different and seemed to see that Hari was not really happy with how the team was and had actually taken the time to talk to her. 

__

 

__

_\- Flashback -_

__

_“Ohayo, Echizen-san,” Yoshida smiled when Hari entered the changing room. “You’re here early.”_

__

_“Ohayo, Yoshida-captain,” Hari bowed politely to her. “So are you.”_

__

_“I had a meeting with Ryuzaki-sensei,” Yoshida smiled and sat down next to where Hari sat. “How are you settling in on the team, Echizen-san?”_

__

_Hari shrugged not wanting to say anything._

__

_“Well, you’re doing well,” Yoshida said when it was clear Hari wasn’t saying anything. “I’m impressed by the work you do, Echizen-san.”_

__

_Hari glanced at her. “Thank you, Yoshida-captain.”_

__

_“I know it must be disappointing for you,” Yoshida suddenly said looking away from her. “The girls’ team are good, but we’re not like the boys. We work differently than them.”_

__

_Hari nodded without saying anything._

__

_“I hope you’ll find a way to get along with them,” Yoshida said before getting up and leaving the changing room._

__

_-End Flashback-_

__

 

__

She had tried, but found herself bored and not really fitting in with them when her lack of knowledge about muggle things and her wish to actually practice and get better at tennis became too visible. It wasn’t that she didn’t like the girls, but it was just harder for her to find something to bond over with them, so she kept to herself. 

__

Even back at Hogwarts she had found it easier to relate to the boys for some reason. She just wasn’t interested in what most girls seemed to be interested in. It wasn’t that she looked down at them, it was just…she felt at loss on how to relate and act around them. When Lavender and Parvati gushed about the cute boys in their year or above them she just didn’t understand the appeal and quickly lose interest in their conversation. Hermione was different from them and seemed more interested in books and learning so Hari had an easier time to relate to her, and…the troll incident also helped to build their friendship. 

__

She didn’t say that she wasn’t friends with other girls at Hogwarts, because she was. Hari did like Ginny, Ron’s little sister, well enough. Though the girl seemed to be unable to actually speak with her and the basilisk-thing had kind of made that even harder. But Hari would call the other girl a friend; she did remember Ginny standing up for her at Flourish and Blotts the bookshop at Diagon Alley back before her second year (Ginny’s first year). If only she would be able to stop seeing the Girl-Who-Lived and see Hari she knew that Ginny could be a good friend. 

__

She could talk with some of the girls from Hufflepuff, like Hannah Abbott and Susan Bones, but she wasn’t sure she would categorize them as friends. She remembered a little too well how they had blamed her for the Chamber and turned on her over it. That wasn’t what friends did. 

__

And then there were the girls from the Quidditch team and Hari felt a bang of loneliness and hurt. She had always felt…on the outside of their friendship. Not to say that they hadn’t been nice to her…well, besides the time in her first year when they all had been angry at her. 

__

Pushing the depressing thoughts away she focused on the positive thing with her situation with the team right now and that was Sakuno. Sakuno would sometimes join Hari when she ran around the courts, more laps than the rest of the team would run, but the girl wasn’t used to Hari’s pace nor had her stamina so she would get tired quicker and fall behind. Though, Hari saw the effort and took notice of it making an effort to help Sakuno when she could, seeing the girl being genuinely interested in the sport. 

__

She hadn’t said anything to Ryoma about how she felt or how alone she was because the others noticed that she was not into their gossip. Not during practice at least. She had wanted to play games and get a challenge, but so far…no games or even a trace of a challenge. She hadn’t told him because she didn’t want to sound like she was complaining or look like she was expecting more than she should. 

__

She hoped that it would change, but so far it didn’t look too good. 

__

 

__

Thump. Thump. Thump. 

__

The sound of a tennis ball had him pausing on his way back from morning practice and on his way home. He glanced over at the normally abandoned court (most in the neighbourhood preferring to use the court by the school) and saw a most unusual sight. 

__

A petite looking girl with auburn hair pulled back in a ponytail wearing a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt that was slightly loose was hitting a tennis ball against the wall without missing a beat. He stopped and watched her as she moved and saw the smile she let out as she managed to hit a particularly difficult ball and got back into rhythm. 

__

“Okay,” he heard her mutter. “Like Nanjiro does it… Muda da…” 

__

The ball bounced over her and landed by his feet making him glance down at the yellow ball that looked rather ruffled and well used, before looking up to see a pair of green eyes hidden behind a pair of glasses. 

__

“Anou,” the girl said tilting her head slightly as she looked at him. “sumimasenga…” 

__

She spoke Japanese? He had expected to have to talk English with her, but it looked like he wouldn’t need to. That was a relief. 

__

“Gomen,” he smiled at her and picked up the ball before taking a step closer to her. “I couldn’t help but stop and watch you… you looked really focused.” 

__

She smiled slightly and rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. 

__

“Oh, well, I guess I was,” she admitted. “Did you plan on using the court?” 

__

He saw her look at his bag and knew she must think he was on his way to play. He shook his head. 

__

“No, I was just on my way back from tennis practice,” he admitted. 

__

“Oh,” she nodded and he tossed her the ball again making her smile at him as she caught it. “Thanks.” 

__

He nodded and couldn’t help but wonder who she was. He hadn’t seen her before. 

__

“Do you attend a school nearby?” he asked curiously. 

__

She looked slightly surprised that he was continuing the conversation, and he must admit that he felt rather surprised himself as well. 

__

“No, I attend a school in Tokyo,” she admitted and for some reason, she looked annoyed. But why would she look annoyed because of that? And what was she doing here then? 

__

“Really? Are you here visiting or something?” he asked. 

__

She shook her head and looked away before looking back at him and he was now sure she looked embarrassed. 

__

“No, never been here before,” she said. “I got…lost.” 

__

“Lost?” he repeated. 

__

“Mm,” she nodded solemnly, “but it wasn’t my fault, honest! I just… got on the wrong train.” 

__

He stared at her before he laughed. He couldn’t help it, but it was funny and she was scowling at him now so he better stop. He coughed trying to cover it, but she still scowled. 

__

“Laugh it up,” she grumbled, “but Ryo-chan will never let me forget it and will probably forbid me from taking the train by myself again.” 

__

He had no idea who this Ryo-chan was but he couldn’t help but wonder if that might be the safest. 

__

“Sorry,” he smiled. “Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Saeki Kojiro, yoroshiku!” 

__

“Echizen Hari, yoroshiku!” Hari smiled back. 

__

Well, Echizen was a Japanese name, he thought as he looked at her. Maybe one of her parents was Japanese? He didn’t ask because it wasn’t any of his business but he was curious. 

__

 

__

Hari looked at the boy who had stopped to watch her and that was now looking at her curiously. His hair was a silver-white, but the bottom layer was black so probably some dye that made his hair the unique colour. She had to admit that it fit him pretty well.

__

“You said you were on your way back from tennis practice?” Hari asked to fill the silence. 

__

“Hai,” he smiled and she wondered what kind of a player he was. He looked gentle and pleasant, but that didn’t have to mean anything when it came to tennis.

__

“Want to play a match?” Hari asked unable to hold back her curiosity and really wanted to play a match against someone. He looked surprised but he nodded and put down his bag before pulling out a wooden racket. It looked homemade. 

__

“My coach made this,” he said when he noticed her looking at it. 

__

“It looks good,” she commented. 

__

Her racket was purple and special to her because it was Ryoma who had picked it out. 

__

They both took their place on either side of the net and Hari won the serve. She looked over and saw him watching her with sharp eyes and her own narrowed slightly. He had talent. 

__

She served the ball and he returned it but she managed to catch up to it with the help of her speed. She hit the ball and made it fall right over the net, but he was already there and returned the favour making her unable to reach it when the ball landed right by the net on her side. 

__

She frowned slightly as she stared at the ball before looking up and saw his smiling face. She shook her head and smiled back. 

__

She served again and they rallied for a little while before she managed to get a point. 

__

She moved and once more she noticed that he seemed to know just how she would react and where the ball would land. She grimaced as she just barely missed the ball he returned. 

__

“1-0 to me,” he called. 

__

“Yeah,” she admitted. “But it’s not over yet.” 

__

He smiled. 

__

 

__

He won, but she did manage to get a couple of games near the end before he finally managed to get the final game he needed. Saeki looked at her feeling rather surprised as he did. He hadn’t expected her to be that good, but she was. She wiped her forehead before she looked over at him and smiled. 

__

“You’re good,” she said. “I was sure you would be, though that motion-thing you have is super annoying.” 

__

“Motion-thing?” he repeated amusedly. 

__

“Yes, you know,” she said making a vague movement with her hand. “Always being able to read my movement and how the ball will move. It’s annoying.” 

__

He laughed and she tried to scowl but she smiled and chuckled herself. 

__

“Well, you’re not bad yourself,” he said. 

__

She smiled at him again and sat down on the bench and looked at the clock before her eyes went wide and she groaned. 

__

“What?” he asked. 

__

“I missed the train,” she grumbled. “Argh, I’m so stupid.” 

__

“Oh, sorry…” he started to frown feeling bad that she had missed her train. 

__

“It’s not your fault,” Hari told him quickly. “I forgot the time.” 

__

“When will the next one be here?” Saeki asked. 

__

“In two hours,” Hari said with a sigh. Just then her phone rang and she pulled it out and grimaced. 

__

“Ouch,” she muttered before she answered the phone. “Ryo-chan.” 

__

“Where are you?” Ryoma demanded. “We have been waiting for you, Hari.” 

__

“Ah, I forgot that I could call you,” Hari said aware of Saeki watching her. 

__

“You forgot,” Ryoma sighed, “of course you did. Then where are you?” 

__

“Um, well, I don’t think I will join you playing tennis today,” Hari said vaguely. 

__

“Hari…” Ryoma warned. “Where are you?” 

__

Hari didn’t want to say it. She really didn’t want to let Ryoma know she had gotten lost again. She saw Saeki look at her curiously. 

__

“Well, about that,” Hari coughed. “I swear it wasn’t my fault.” 

__

“You’re lost,” Ryoma deadpanned. “Hari…” 

__

“I know where I am,” Hari pouted. “Well, now I do.” 

__

“Ok, so where are you? I will come and get you,” Ryoma said. 

__

“No, you don’t need to do that,” Hari protested, “I’ll find my way home, Ryo-chan. Don’t worry.” 

__

“That’s not going to stop me from worrying,” Ryoma said. “Where are you, Hari?” 

__

Hari sighed and dumped down on a nearby bench with a pout. 

__

“Chiba,” she admitted knowing better than to lie or to avoid it anymore. Ryoma never let go if he suspected her not telling him something and she really didn’t want to lie to him either. 

__

“Chiba.” Ryoma repeated. “Chiba. Seriously, Hari!” 

__

“It’s not my fault the train got mixed up and I fell asleep,” Hari mumbled. 

__

She could hear the sigh from the other end of the phone and grimaced. 

__

“Then when are you coming home?” Ryoma asked. “Do you even know how to?” 

__

“Of course I do,” Hari said. “I’m sure I’ll find the train station again.” 

__

“You left…” Ryoma groaned. 

__

“Hey, I’m not totally useless, you know,” Hari protested. “I’ll see you tonight, Ryo-chan.” 

__

“Fine,” he said. 

__

 

__

“I can show you the way to the train station when you need to leave,” Saeki said when she put her phone away. 

__

“Honto?” Hari smiled. 

__

“Hai,” Saeki nodded and smiled at her like he found her amusing or maybe it was fascinating? Well, Hari didn’t care as she grinned up at him. “But…who are Ryo-chan?” 

__

“My little brother,” Hari smiled as she said it. She loved being able to claim Ryoma as her little brother and knowing it was true in a legal way as well. 

__

Saeki nodded and arched a brow when he heard her stomach grumble and she glanced down at her stomach with a small pout. 

__

“Come on, I’ll buy you some food,” he laughed. 

__

“You’re my saviour,” Hari declared and picked up her racket that was put back in her bag and stared at him with wide eyes waiting for him to lead the way. 

__

 

__

“Are you on your schools' tennis team?” Hari asked. 

__

“Yes, I’m Vice-Captain of Rokkaku Middle School,” Saeki nodded as he swallowed his ramen. “What about you? What school do you attend in Tokyo?” 

__

Hari looked down and ate more of her ramen before she glanced up at him again. She sighed. 

__

“I attend Seigaku Middle School,” she said. 

__

He blinked at her and she saw that it meant something to him as he stared at her. She wasn’t sure what though. 

__

“Seigaku? Really?” He asked. 

__

“Mm,” she nodded. “Why?” 

__

“I know someone who attends Seigaku,” Saeki said. “My childhood friend plays tennis for their team.” 

__

“Oh? Who?” Hari asked curiously. 

__

“Fuji Shusuke,” Saeki said making her blink. “You know him?” 

__

Hari shrugged, “I haven’t been at the school for too long, but I know him. Ryo-chan is on the team with him.” 

__

“And are you on the tennis team?” Saeki asked. 

__

“Yeah, the girls' team,” Hari said not looking up at him. 

__

Saeki frowned slightly as he took in the sudden depressed look on her and wondered why she suddenly looked like that. 

__

“You don’t look happy about that,” he observed quietly. 

__

“It’s alright, I guess,” Hari looked up at him with a disinterested look on her face, but her eyes revealed the pain she was trying to hide. “I just…had expected something else.” 

__

“Then why are you on the team?” Saeki asked. 

__

Hari blinked at the question and took a moment to think about it. Why did she join the team?

__

“I want to be part of something like Ryo-chan is,” Hari finally answered. “I watched Ryo-chan and the others play in the tournament and they won. They looked like they had fun and it was challenging for all of them. They all looked like they were part of something and relied on each other as they played. How they cheered each-others on and looked happy. I…I wanted that.” 

__

Saeki nodded in understanding, being a part of a team was something he really enjoyed as well.

__

 

__

“I think you’re really good, Echizen-san,” he said pausing on the platform next to the train that was going back to Tokyo. Hari paused and looked at him. “I hope you’ll continue playing tennis and that you’ll find your fun and happiness somewhere.” 

__

Hari smiled at him and nodded.

__

“I will,” she said, “if it’s not with the team then I could always play on street courts like I did today. I mean, I met you and got a chance to play someone as good as you this way, right?” 

__

He chuckled. 

__

“Also, I’ve been thinking,” he said calming down. “I think you actually have the same talent as I do, or parts of it.” 

__

“Eh?” Hari blinked.

__

“The Motion Vision,” he clarified. “I have thought about it, and I think it’s possible that you actually have it as well. You have good eyes and you could tell the way I was going to move as well.” 

__

“Really?” Hari smiled. 

__

He nodded. 

__

“Could… could you teach me?” Hari asked nervously. 

__

“You want me to teach you?” he asked surprised. 

__

Hari nodded. 

__

“But I live so far away from you,” Saeki said. 

__

“I could come and see you here sometimes,” Hari shrugged, “but only if it won’t be a bother to you. I don’t want to burden you or anything….Ah, forget I asked.” 

__

She looked away suddenly embarrassed and bit down on her lower lip in annoyance at herself for letting the question slip out before she could stop herself. 

__

“It’s not a bother,” he said making her look at him again. “I’d like to play with you again, Echizen-san.” 

__

Hari smiled relieved. 

__

 

__

Hari stared at the door leading to the house that was now her home. It had gotten dark outside now and she was slightly apprehensive about entering the house and face her new family. Would they be angry at her? Would they tell her they didn’t want her anymore? 

__

Argh, she wasn’t even sure where her nerves were coming from or why she suddenly was worrying about it, she hadn’t really thought about it when she was in Chiba. It wasn’t until she was on the train back that she had started to worry about Rinko and Nanjiro’s reaction to her being gone the whole day and actually going to Chiba. She remembered Hermione telling her that her parents were really worried when she was home for the summer and if she didn’t let them know where she was or when she was going to get back. 

__

She opened the door as she took a deep breath and entered the house, it was almost completely silent but she could hear the soft noises from the television. She walked into the living room and saw that both Rinko and Nanjiro were there and both looked up when they heard her. 

__

“Hari-chan,” Nanjiro smiled a little but he didn’t look like his usual self and that had her wanting to turn and leave. 

__

“You’re back,” Rinko said getting up and walking over to her. “Are you ok?” 

__

Hari looked down and nodded her head in confirmation. “Yes.” 

__

“That’s good,” Rinko said, “Ryoma said you had gotten lost.” 

__

Hari nodded. 

__

“The entire day,” Rinko continued. 

__

Hari nodded again. 

__

“He didn’t tell us anymore,” Nanjiro spoke up and Hari glanced over at him before looking back at the floor. “Where could you have gotten lost that took you so long to get back?” 

__

“Ryo-chan didn’t tell you?” Hari asked quietly barely able to look up at them. 

__

“No, he didn’t,” Rinko said with a small frown, displeased. 

__

“I took the wrong train and ended up in Chiba,” Hari admitted. 

__

Silence. 

__

Hari forced herself to look up and saw the shocked and incredulous expressions, though Nanjiro looked almost ready to laugh at the same time looked worried. It made a very amusing expression if she had been calm enough to enjoy it. 

__

“That I didn’t expect,” Rinko said. “Chiba.” 

__

“I know, I guess I was distracted enough when I was going to find my way back to the train to meet Ryo-chan and Momo-chan after my meeting with Hisakawa-san and got on the wrong train,” Hari explained, “and I fell asleep and didn’t wake until the conductor woke me up saying we were in Chiba.” 

__

She continued to tell them that she had gone for a walk while waiting for the train to go back to Tokyo and missed the next one and had to wait even longer. When she finished she looked down ashamed. 

__

“Why didn’t you call, Hari?” Rinko asked. “We would want to know.” 

__

“I forgot,” Hari admitted. “I didn’t really think about it. I’m sorry.” 

__

Rinko sighed and guided Hari over to the sofa and sat her down. She reached over and put her hand under Hari’s chin and lifted it up forcing her to meet the older woman’s eyes. 

__

“I understand that you’re not used to having someone home that worries about you, Hari,” Rinko said, “but you do and if something happens we would want to know. We worry when you’re not coming back when you said you would or when we say you have to be back.” 

__

Nanjiro nodded and put a hand on Hari’s shoulder giving it a gentle squeeze. 

__

Hari nodded, “I’m sorry.” 

__

“Are you hungry?” Rinko asked. 

__

“No,” Hari shook her head. “I’m just tired.” 

__

“Then go to bed for now and we’ll talk later,” Rinko said. 

__

 

__

“Hari!” Ryoma entered her room and she looked up from her phone as she had just sent a text to Saeki telling him that she had gotten home safely (he seemed to think she might get lost again). 

__

“Hi Ryo-chan,” Hari smiled softly. “I’m sorry for worrying you.” 

__

“Hmph,” he scoffed and sat down on the edge of her bed. “You’re really hopeless, Hari.” 

__

Hari shrugged not really in the mood to come with her usual protests. She felt tired and relieved and guilty but she wasn’t even sure why. 

__

“So, did you and Momo-chan have a good day?” Hari asked to change the subject. She curled up in her bed with the covers over her lap as she sat leaned against the headboard. 

__

“Well, it was interesting,” Ryoma allowed. 

__

“Oh?” she smiled slightly. 

__

“There seems to be plenty of spies around and they were there spying on our practice earlier,” Ryoma rolled his eyes. 

__

Hari knew they had a morning practice even if it were Saturday and no school for them. That was why Ryoma hadn’t come with her to the meeting (so that she wouldn’t get lost on her way). 

__

“What happened?” Hari asked.

__

Ryoma told her about his and Momoshiro being stalked by two boys from another school and how they had even followed them into a shoe-store and been discovered. Hari had to laugh as Ryoma explained how they had played doubles with them and won easily. 

__

“Sounds like an eventful day,” Hari said when he was finished. “I’m sorry I missed it.” 

__

“So, how was Chiba?” Ryoma asked. 

__

“It was alright,” Hari shrugged. “I played tennis while I waited. I even played against someone and while he won I managed to get a couple of games on him.” 

__

“Was he good?” Ryoma asked. 

__

“Yeah,” Hari nodded smiling slightly. “He is.” 

__

 

__

Hari groaned when she felt someone suddenly throw an arm around her neck and she scowled at Kikumaru who grinned at her. She had been walking through the halls of the school looking for Ryoma since it was lunch and both Momoshiro and Kaido had disappeared somewhere. 

__

“Hari-chan!” Kikumaru chimed. 

__

“Kikumaru-sempai,” Hari said and tried to get lost only to have him hold on tighter. She was seriously starting to wonder if she would stop breathing soon as his arm was squeezing around her neck. “Need…air.”

__

“Eiji!” Oishi sharp voice sounded. “She can’t breathe!” 

__

“Oh, sorry!” Kikumaru released her quickly and Hari coughed and rubbed her neck while glaring at him. “Are you okay?” 

__

“Hmph,” Hari scoffed. “So, why the sudden attack?” 

__

“I wanted you to come and have lunch with us!” Kikumaru bounced looking like an excited child on Christmas Day. 

__

“I was looking for Ryo-chan,” Hari said. 

__

“He’s with us outside,” Oishi smiled kindly at her. 

__

“Alright,” Hari said eying Kikumaru a little wary of a new attack. 

__

They made their way through the school and Hari noticed Yoshida and Hashimoto from the girls’ team watching her with pensive looks. She smiled briefly at them but didn’t do anything else to greet them. 

__

“Hari-chan is here!” Kikumaru declared loudly as they approached the lawn under a tree where Hari quickly saw the rest of the tennis regulars seated. It wasn’t the first time she had joined them for lunch, but it was the first time Kikumaru or anyone besides Ryoma or Momoshiro had invited (dragged) her to it. 

__

“Hari,” Ryoma gave her a look. 

__

“Ryo-chan, your friend is scary,” Hari said as she fell down next to him and rested her head on his shoulder. 

__

“Hai, hai,” Ryoma sighed. 

__

“Did you get home alright on Saturday, Hari-chan?” Momoshiro asked. 

__

“Did you go somewhere, Hari-chan?” Kikumaru asked. 

__

Hari scowled at Ryoma who gave her a bored look. 

__

“Hey, don’t look at me like that,” Ryoma said, “you were supposed to meet both me and Momo-sempai, remember? He was with me when I called you.” 

__

Hari still scowled but shrugged. 

__

“I got home fine,” Hari looked at Momoshiro. 

__

“Why aren’t you answering me, Hari-chan?!” Kikumaru whined poking at her arm. 

__

“I must admit that I am curious as well,” Inui said pushing at his glasses with his notebook opened in his hands. “From my data, I would deduce that you got lost somewhere…” 

__

“Saa,” Fuji smiled with his eyes closed like normal. “Where did you get lost to now, Hari-chan?” 

__

Even Tezuka looked slightly curious, or something, but he was looking at her as well so she guessed that meant he was curious. She hadn’t met anyone before who was so difficult to read. Well, maybe Dumbledore but that was because he was barmy and eccentric and not because he hid behind a blank mask like Tezuka. 

__

“Chiba,” Momoshiro helpfully said when Hari didn’t answer. She glared at him but he just smiled. 

__

“Chiba?!” 

__

Hari sighed and once more told her story and wondered why everyone was so obsessed with it. 

__

“Saa, that’s amusing,” Fuji smiled. 

__

“Are you coming to watch us practice today, Hari-chan?” Kikumaru asked when the lunch hour almost was over and Hari was getting back on her feet having enjoyed her lunch with Ryoma’s friends. Maybe they could even be seen as her friends now too. Maybe. 

__

“No, I can’t,” Hari said despite wanting to, but she had her own practice to go to. She ruffled Ryoma’s hair (he swatted her hand away with a glare) and walked away with Kaido and Momoshiro on their way to their next class. 

__

 

__

Hari stared at the practice match between Yoshida and Hashimoto and thought back on what Saeki had said. Did she really have that motion vision thing that he did? She tried to focus on Yoshida who was clearly the better of the two, and Hari tried to see her moves and predict how she would return the ball. 

__

Hari had always been good at noticing small details that others normally overlooked. That was one of the reasons she was such a good seeker, that and her reflexes. 

__

“Hari-sempai,” Sakuno said stopping beside her. 

__

“Hi Sakuno,” Hari didn’t look away from the match going on as she smiled when she correctly guessed where the ball would go. 

__

Sakuno looked at Hari with a curious look but didn’t say anything else. She could see that Hari was really focused on something, but she wasn’t sure what it was she was trying to see as she stared at the match going on. 

__

Hari sighed and rubbed her eyes tiredly and glanced at Sakuno who (much to her surprise) still was standing next to her. Hari blinked. 

__

“Ah, did you want something, Sakuno-chan?” Hari asked. 

__

“No, I…um, I didn’t want… I just wanted to ask you if you would help me with my swings,” Sakuno blushed. 

__

“Sure,” Hari said easily enough and grabbed her racket and turned away from the match. She had seen what she needed to and she wanted to play. “Come on.” 

__

They started to work on the swings and Hari gently and patiently corrected the other girls’ stance and pace. The way Sakuno smiled and seemed to light up made Hari smile as she watched her, unaware of calculating eyes of her captain watching her as she had just finished her own match against Hashimoto. 

__

 

__

“Satomi?” Yoshida glanced to her side to see her best friend Hashimoto Haruka watching her curiously. “What are you thinking?” 

__

“I’m thinking that there’s more to Echizen Hari than we see,” Yoshida said. 

__

“Oh?” Hashimoto said looking over at Hari who was helping Sakuno with her swings. “I don’t really know. She’s not really that open.” 

__

Yoshida glanced at her, “she’s nice when you talk with her.” 

__

“I guess,” Hashimoto said, “but she keeps mostly to herself, and during lunch, she’s pulled with Fuji-chan and the others. I think some of the girls on the team are jealous.” 

__

Yoshida nodded, “I’ve heard their talk.” 

__

Hashimoto shrugged, “I don’t really know, but I can understand them a little. She seems to fit better with the boys' team than with ours.” 

__

Yoshida sighed.

__

“What are you going to do, Satomi?” Hashimoto asked. 

__

“I think I’ll have to play a match with her and take it from there,” Yoshida said. 

__

“Really? She’s not even one of the regulars,” Hashimoto said, “you think she’s ready to play against you? You’re our best player, Satomi.” 

__

“I know, but I keep thinking that…I might not be,” Yoshida admitted as she looked at Hari demonstrate a serve for Sakuno with sharp and precise moves and she could once more feel the talent lurking in Hari. 

__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? :)
> 
> Sorry, I'm too tired to really leave an author note today. I just wanted to post this before I go to sleep. But thank you for reading and supporting the story.
> 
> Japanese words used:  
> Maji de - Seriously?  
> Muda da - It's useless   
> anou - say... err...well  
> sumimasenga - excuse me  
> gomen - sorry  
> Yoroshiku - Nice to meet you  
> Honto - Really  
> Hai - Yes  
> Ohayo - Good morning  
> Saa - filler


	10. Leaving the team?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Hari sat on her office chair by her window looking out into the dark sky and feeling the fresh, cold night air against her cheeks as she curled her legs up underneath her and pulled her blanket closer around her to shut out the cold air. She didn’t close the window though, because she wanted it to be open for Hedwig and she needed the air to remind her that she was awake and not still locked in her nightmare. 

The dark shadows and echoing sounds still lingered on her mind, but the view of the street lights helped her calm down. Somehow. She wasn’t sure why, but they helped. The house was silent and she couldn’t hear anything at all. 

Did Ron and Hermione miss her? Did they notice that she wasn’t there anymore? Would...would they tell anyone if she told where she was? Should she tell them where she was? Did they blame her? Were they alright? 

Did they think that they had a safer and better life now that she was out of the way? Perhaps Ron liked that she wasn’t getting all the attention now and he could finally get a chance to shine himself? Perhaps the others would see him now and not the see him in her shadow? She always thought it was stupid that they couldn’t see that he was brilliant in his own way. No one she knew was as good at chess as him. 

And Hermione…perhaps she liked she could get a chance to study without having to work out how to save the school every week? She was pulled into situations she never would have been in because of Hari, and Hari knew it must be a bother for the other girl. 

They both deserved better than having Hari drag them into trouble or shadowing them because of her so-called fame. Did they also think that? 

Hari hugged her legs closer to her as her mind spun in all kinds of directions and she hated it. She hated how her mind was going out of control and thinking this kind of things. She wished she could trust that Ron and Hermione never would think things like that. Why was it always during the night that her mind was going crazy?

She forced her mind over at tennis and Ryoma, she always felt better when she thought about her little brother who loved tennis like no other. She couldn’t help but smile a little as she let her mind play some of his matches; it took her mind off her sombre thoughts. 

The sight of something white was the first indicator that Hedwig was back and soon her trusted owl landed on her shoulder and Hari grimaced slightly seeing the mouse Hedwig let go of and that landed on the windowsill still alive. 

“Ouch, Hedwig,” Hari grimaced, “good job, but do you have to bring them with you here?” 

Hoot. 

“Of course you do,” Hari sighed and stroked her feathers. “Good job.” 

Hedwig looked proud and nibbled at her ear before jumping off her shoulder and toward the mouse. Hari got up and turned around knowing from experience that she did not want to watch that. She walked back to her bed and crawled under her covers and closed her eyes. Perhaps she could sleep now without dreaming of chambers or Dementors. 

 

“What are you doing?” 

Hari looked up from where she was doing her stretches after a run and saw Matsuoka Kaori, a third-year regular, staring down at her. Getting up she met the cold eyes and arched a brow at the older girl. 

“I’m doing my stretches,” Hari answered her voice barely polite. 

“Watch how you speak to me,” Matsuoka snapped. “I’m your sempai!” 

Hari just stared at her blankly.

“You have to clean up the court over there,” Matsuoka pointed to the court farthest away. “Make sure every ball is back in the basket. Captain’s order.” 

“Fine,” Hari said forcing herself to remain calm and unbothered.

It wasn’t the first time she had been directed to clean up the balls or doing stuff like this, and while she knew that it had to be done and she hadn’t any problems with helping…she did have a problem with the obvious attempts to keep her from practising. 

Hari wasn’t stupid. She saw the way the other girls were looking at her, especially lately. She wasn’t even sure when it had changed. She just knew that it had and suddenly the girls who had seemed friendly enough had started to turn their back to her when she joined them and give her these looks that she knew all too well. 

Hari made her way to the court she had been sent to and took in the balls that were spread all over the court. She fisted her hands because it was clear that they had been deliberately tossed all over the court, every single ball that had been in the large basket. She also knew that this court was never really used. 

 

“She’s doing it?” Hashimoto asked quietly when Matsuoka joined them again. 

“Yes,” Matsuoka nodded. 

“Good,” Hashimoto didn’t look over at the other girl as she looked at Yoshida go over the plans for the practice. She wasn’t going to sit by and just watch some new kid come and take over for Yoshida who had worked so hard to get where she was. 

“I want you all to…” Yoshida was saying and pointed at the board and for once had the attention from all of the regulars. 

They spread out and started to do the exercises they had been assigned and Hashimoto couldn’t help but glance over at the court she’d had Matsuoka send Hari. She could barely make out the other girl clean up the balls and smiled slightly. 

“Has anyone seen Echizen-san?” Yoshida called out. 

“No, isn’t she here?” Ueda asked. 

“I guess we’re not important,” Yamamato drawled. 

“We’re not the boys so…” Saitou added giggling. 

Yoshida frowned at them, “that’s uncalled for.” 

“You’re too kind, Satomi,” Hashimoto told her. “They’re just having some fun.” 

Yoshida gave her a look before she shook her head, “get back to your practice.” 

Hashimoto smiled slightly and nodded. She focused on the swing practice she was doing. 

 

“Echizen!” Hari looked up when she heard someone call her when she had finished cleaning up the court and saw Yoshida look at her with a disappointed frown. 

“Hai?” Hari asked. 

“Why are you only showing up now?!” Yoshida demanded. 

“Eh? I…” Hari started. 

“No, I won’t hear any excuses,” Yoshida said. “I told you to be here on time today and you didn’t even bother to show up. Clean this up before you leave.” 

Yoshida turned and left before Hari could say a word and Hari stared blankly after the Captain of the girl's tennis team. She heard the giggles from the other girls and glanced over to see the amused yet malicious looks they gave her. 

“You heard her, Echizen,” Hashimoto said. “Clean up.” 

“You’re nothing, Echizen,” Ueda sneered. 

“I have no idea how Echizen Ryoma can be your little brother,” Fukui giggled giving Hari a look that clearly stated what she thought of her, “I mean…you look nothing alike.” 

“I heard someone say that she’s adopted,” Saitou told them.

“Oh, that explains everything…” 

“I know, right?” 

“You think you’re worth so much more than us, don’t you Echizen-san?” 

“I bet you don’t even play tennis,” Matsuoka said, “I’ve never seen you play… Did your brother get you into the team because he felt sorry for you?” 

Hari gritted her teeth and refused to let herself respond, but her mind was playing with all the pranks she could possibly use on them as revenge as they laughed some more and walked away. She stared blankly at the court that was filled with tennis balls and sighed. 

She started to clean up the balls (again) and wondered (again) why she bothered being on this team. She wasn’t really getting anything from it. And…she hadn’t left Hogwarts to be treated like this at her new school. This was her second chance to find a place where she belonged and, honestly, this wasn’t it. 

The only reason she was here cleaning up the balls from practice was that she didn’t want the girls thinking they had won. She knew they were trying to force her out or something, she just didn’t know why. 

 

“No Hari-chan today either?” Momoshiro asked looking over at the fences to see Sakuno and Tomoka there like normal, but no Hari. 

Ryoma shrugged without looking, “she’s busy.” 

“Busy doing what?” Momoshiro asked, “she won’t tell me when I ask her during class. She just says she’ll try to come.” 

“Ffffsshhh…,” Kaido hissed behind them and Ryoma glanced over at him to see that he was actually paying attention to them. 

“She’ll tell you when she’s ready,” Ryoma said, “come on, let’s practice.” 

Momoshiro whined but he went back to practice like Ryoma said, but he was still curious about where Hari was. 

“Saa,” Fuji commented having heard their conversation. “I think Hari-chan is hiding something.” 

Tezuka glanced over at Fuji with a blank look on his face. 

“Why?” Tezuka asked. 

“Saa…” Fuji just smiled but Tezuka felt a cold shiver go down his spine at the opened eyed smile on their tensai’s face. 

“What do you have planned?” Tezuka asked carefully. 

“Nothing,” Fuji smiled innocently. 

“I’m sure,” Tezuka sighed looking away from him. He didn’t want to be involved in whatever he had planned. 

 

Fuji went to get some water when he heard the giggling signalling the arrival of the girls and grimaced slightly as he ducked behind the fountain. 

“You really set her up, Hashimoto-san,” one of the girl giggled, Fuji couldn’t remember her name. “She’ll learn that she can’t come and just take what we have worked so hard for.” 

“I know,” one of the other laughed. “I’m a little surprised though, Hashimoto-san. You normally don’t bother to do this… You and Yoshida-Captain are normally not ones to be as harsh like this. Aren’t you worried she will tell Yoshida-sensei?” 

“What Satomi doesn’t know won’t hurt her,” Hashimoto said, “besides… Echizen-san isn’t one to complain to others… she won’t tell. Her pride won’t allow her to.” 

Fuji frowned as he watched the girl walk away and he glanced at the courts the girls used during practices. They must have talked about Hari, but…was she on their team? Was that why she hadn’t been by to watch them lately? It certainly would explain a lot. 

He frowned and his smile was lost as he thought about what he had heard and he didn’t like it. He started to move before he really had made up his mind and soon he was by the courts and saw Hari alone gathering used tennis balls. She was almost done with the look of it, and he could see the sombre look on her face as she did. Her hair was hanging loosely around her face and it was messy. 

She lifted a hand to her face and rubbed her face with it before continuing with the clean-up. Something about just watching her do this felt wrong for him and he moved closer. He could tell when she noticed him by the way she stilled and her head snapped up to stare at him. 

“Hello, Hari-chan,” he smiled. 

“Fuji-sempai,” Hari glanced around before looking at him. “Ano, what are you doing here?” 

“I could ask you the same thing,” Fuji said looking around. “I didn’t know you had joined the tennis club.” 

He noticed that her normal smile fell and she looked away from him before continuing to pick up the last balls. He watched her for a moment before he started to help her. 

“You don’t have to help me,” Hari said quietly. 

“I know,” was all he said. 

He heard her sigh but she didn’t say anything else. They worked in silence until they were done and he noticed her stretch her back and grimace slightly as she did so. 

“Why are you doing this alone, Hari-chan?” Fuji asked when they finished and he leaned against the netting fence. 

“I’m the new kid,” she said making him frown. 

“So?” 

“So, they think it’s fun to make me do this,” she said a little bitterly. “I don’t know.” 

He frowned. 

 

Hari almost cursed silently when she saw Fuji standing in front of her. She hadn’t wanted anyone of them to see her or to know that she had joined the team. It was illogical, but that was how it was. Especially when she was so sure she would quit soon. She wouldn’t put up with being bullied or treated like this, but she didn’t want anyone else to know she was treated like that either. Nor did she want Ryoma to find out. Though she couldn't hide this for long, she knew he would soon ask her what was wrong and she doubted she would be able to lie to him when he did ask.

She didn’t even know what she had done to make the rest of the team hate her. At Hogwarts, she at least knew why they treated her like that. Either it was because she was the Girl-Who-Lived, or it was because she had lost a lot of points, or she was believed to be the Heir of Slytherin. Now…she had no idea what she was supposed to have done. 

“I don’t know what I have done,” she whispered more to herself than to him. “What have I done to make them treat me like that?” 

In a burst of frustration she kicked the fence making it rattle by the force she used. Was she unable to have what Ryoma had? To have that team feeling that she saw him and the rest of the team enjoy during their tournament? Maybe her uncle was right, maybe she was worthless. 

Fuji looked at her and she looked away from him. 

“Why are you here, Fuji-sempai?” Hari asked. 

“I was curious when I heard the girls talking about you,” he admitted. “And I thought you were hiding something as of late, so I thought I would find out what it was.” 

“Gossip,” she grumbled. “Of course.” 

“You don’t like gossip?” Fuji asked. 

She gave him a look, “no. I hate it, it never really tells the truth.” 

“You seem to have a lot of knowledge of it,” he commented. 

“You could say that” she snorted. 

She walked away from him and to the changing room to change into her school uniform again. She took a moment to look around the locker room and sighed. She picked up her bag and stilled slightly when she saw Fuji, now changed as well, there waiting for her. 

“Come on,” he smiled at her with his eyes closed like normal. “I’ll walk you home. Echizen has already left.” 

 

They walked in silence for a little while. Hari wasn’t sure what to say and she had no idea what he was thinking. She glanced over at him and saw that he was smiling like he normally was. 

“I guess I should have known you played tennis,” he commented. 

“Because Ryo-chan does?” Hari asked. 

He glanced over at her, probably because of her slightly bitter tone.

“Sorry,” she murmured. “Just a little sore because of something they said. I didn’t mean to take it out on you.” 

“No worries,” he looked at her. “Are you alright, Hari-chan?” 

“I’m fine,” she said automatically. “But as an answer to your question, yes, I play tennis as well. And I guess it is because Ryo-chan does. At least at first. He was the one who got me playing when we first met. I liked it and I always loved watching him play. Still does.” 

“Interesting,” was all Fuji said. 

They reached the house and Hari paused outside to look over at Fuji. He smiled at her and she smiled slightly back. 

“Thank you for your help,” she said and he nodded. “And…could you not mention it to anyone?” 

“Why?” he asked. 

“I don’t want them to know,” she said. “I’ll handle it.” 

“Alright,” he agreed. 

“Thanks,” she smiled and waved at him. “Goodbye, see you tomorrow.” 

 

“Hey,” Hari looked up and saw Sakuno standing there. 

“Hello,” Hari smiled at her. “You’re here early.” 

“I know,” Sakuno said. “I came in with grandma today. Are you already practising?” 

Hari nodded wiping some sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand. She didn’t say she had gotten early for a reason and that she hadn’t gotten much sleep last night as she had been mulling over her situation on the team. She had only left a note for Rinko and Ryoma telling them where she was. 

“Thought I would get an early start,” Hari said. 

Sakuno nodded, “can I join you?” 

“You want to?” Hari asked slightly surprised. 

“Sure,” Sakuno smiled shyly and blushed slightly. “If it’s not a bother to you.” 

Hari smiled and Sakuno grabbed her racket. 

Hari relaxed as they just simply hit the ball back and forth. It wasn’t as tough as she normally would have made her practices, but it was rewarding to see the joy Sakuno showed. She was such a simple and kind girl that Hari couldn’t help but feel comfortable with. 

 

Yoshida watched as Hari played with Sakuno, they looked relaxed and like they had fun. She had not seen Hari like that with anyone but Sakuno. Sakuno was the only one who could make Hari smile and Yoshida felt a little bad about that. She also felt guilty about how hard she had been the day before, she should have let Hari explain why she was late. 

She sighed. This was difficult. She could feel the animosity from the rest of the team every time Hari was present lately and it wasn’t good for the team. It was driving them apart and Yoshida as a Captain had a responsibility to keep the team together. 

Only…she had no idea how to do so with Hari on the team. It was harsh, but it was the truth. Also, she had seen enough for her to be sure that Hari was better than her and a nagging feeling in the back of her mind had her question things she never questioned before. Like who the regulars should be, or if she even should be Captain anymore. 

Why was it that even when Yoshida worked so hard to both keep her grades up for school and keep practising, she still wasn’t good enough? Hari had just waltzed in and seemed to already have a place with the boys’ team, even the regulars, without even trying. From what she heard she also got good grades. Everything just seemed so easy for her, and Yoshida really wanted that. 

She swallowed down the jealousy she felt, she knew it wasn’t Hari’s fault and she really shouldn’t blame her for it. She heard Hari laugh and saw the small smile on Sakuno’s face and Yoshida had obviously missed something that must have been funny. 

“Ohayo,” Yoshida greeted as she decided to stop watching them and approached them.

Hari immediately lost her cheerful smile and her face turned blankly polite. 

“Ohayo,” Hari nodded. 

“Ohayo,” Sakuno sounded timid and her eyes flickered between Hari and Yoshida. 

“Echizen-san, I’m sorry for yesterday,” Yoshida said visibly stunning Hari as she blinked at her. “I should have let you explain why you were late.” 

Hari arched a brow at her but she kept silent for a while. Yoshida frowned slightly when Hari sighed and looked away from her. 

“I see,” Hari murmured almost so quietly that Yoshida missed it. “I’m not one to tell on others, so just let it be.” 

Yoshida frowned, “what is that supposed to mean?” 

“Nani mo,” Hari said and rested her racket against her shoulder. She gave Yoshida a look. “Nothing at all.” 

She turned and walked to grab her bag, “my resignation letter is in the locker room. I have no interest in being part of this kind of team. It’s not something for me.” 

“EH?” Sakuno and Yoshida both exclaimed. 

“Why would you quit?!” Yoshida asked pushing down the spark of relief she had felt underneath the shock. 

“Hari-chan…” Sakuno looked pained. 

Hari had her back to them so they couldn’t see her face for a long minute before she half turned and Yoshida was hit with the almost haunted look on her face. 

“…” Hari sighed. “There’s no reason to tell you. I am obviously not wanted on the team and can take a hint. I don’t need to be here to play tennis. So, I quit.” 

Yoshida stared after her with shock and lost for words. She had no idea what just happened or what to do with it. She was aware that Sakuno ran after Hari obviously upset, but she had no mind to go after her herself. 

 

Hari grimaced slightly as she walked away. She had quit. It was a decision she had arrived at during the night. She wasn’t going to put herself through that treatment anymore, and she realised that she wasn’t going to be happy playing with them when they could treat her like that. 

She would go and play on street courts and she would have more time to go and see Saeki and play with him in Chiba. She enjoyed being able to meet other players and play with them, even if she had to do so alone. Well, she could always drag Ryoma or Momoshiro with her if she wanted to. Maybe even Kaido. 

“Hari-chan! Wait up!” 

Hari paused and half-turned to see Sakuno coming up behind her and she was breathing harder from the running she had done to catch up to her. Hari hadn’t realised that she had walked fast…or that she was on the back of the school and not where she was supposed to be at all. Great. 

“Ah, Sakuno,” Hari said focusing back on the younger girl. 

“Why did you quit?” Sakuno asked looking so worried that Hari had to smile a little. 

“I just realised that it wasn’t what I wanted,” Hari explained. “I can play tennis anywhere, so I don’t need them.” 

Sakuno was still frowning. 

“But…” 

“If you want to play with me or join me for practices you still can, Sakuno-chan,” Hari smiled kindly. “I just…didn’t want to be on that team anymore. I left a place where I was…glared at and talked about behind my back, and I refuse to go through it again.” 

Sakuno clearly didn’t understand but she nodded and Hari gave her a smile. 

 

They had a free period and Hari was like most of the class using it to do her homework, or at least attempt too as most were just talking with their friends. Hari, however, was looking amusedly over at Momoshiro who bit down on his pen and had a frustrated look on his face. She tilted her head as she watched him. 

“What are you doing?” Hari finally asked. 

“I’m trying to solve this problem,” Momoshiro snapped glaring at the book like it would solve anything. 

“By glaring at it?” Hari asked. 

“Well, nothing else works,” Momoshiro snapped. 

Hari snorted and heard Kaido mutter something about idiots from his desk, but she ignored him and swatted Momoshiro’s head when he turned toward Kaido to (obviously) start another argument. 

“Hey, pay attention,” Hari told him. “I’ll help you.” 

“Really?” Momoshiro asked looking happy again. 

“Really,” Hari rolled her eyes at him. 

She leaned over and started to explain the math problem making Momoshiro nod and get a focused look on his face. She took her time to explain it as simply she could manage. 

“Ok, so if you take the number here…” Hari said and circled a number, “…and then add this…” 

“Ah…I see…” Momoshiro said. “I never thought about it like that… So, then I would be able to…” 

“Exactly,” Hari said. 

“Wow,” Momoshiro grinned, “that is awesome! I can’t believe you could make it sound so simple!” 

Hari smiled slightly back before she tensed when she noticed Ueda and Hashimoto by the door looking in on them with scowls on their faces. 

“Hari-chan?” Momoshiro asked. 

“Hm?” Hari glanced over at him. 

“Something wrong?” Momoshiro asked with a worried look on his face.

“No, I’m fine,” Hari smiled and reached for the book again. “Should we go over the next one as well?” 

Before Momoshiro could answer Kaido appeared and sat down so he was blocking her view of the door making her look at him startled. He had his usual scowl on his face so she couldn’t tell if he had noticed the girls staring at her or if he was just being his usual self. 

“Viper, what are you doing…” Momoshiro asked annoyed. 

“I’ll join your study session,” Kaido grunted. “Hari-chan is good at explaining this.” 

Hari smiled and went back to explain the next problem and allowing herself to get distracted by the lesson. She was aware of both boys look at her from time to time with a concerned look, but neither asked and she was very grateful for that. 

 

“What’s up with you lately?” Ryoma asked. 

Hari glanced at him and sighed. 

“I quit the tennis team,” Hari said. 

“Why?” Ryoma asked shocked. “I thought you really wanted to join the team.”

Hari shrugged and tossed the tennis ball she was holding up in the air from where she was sitting leaning on her bed resting against the headboard. She caught the ball again as she glanced over at Ryoma. 

Sighing she finally told Ryoma about what had been going on and she could see that he got angry and upset, she didn’t want him to feel like that and that had been why she hadn’t told him. But when he asked she wasn’t going to lie to him, so she told him. 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Ryoma asked when she finished telling him.

“I could handle it,” Hari said not looking at him. 

“I still would want to know,” he grumbled.

“And do what, Ryo-chan?” Hari asked. “There’s nothing you could have done and it would only make things worse. I have no idea why they suddenly acted like that to me, but I won’t stay when I’m not wanted. I’m not doing that again.” 

Ryoma sighed, but he nodded. 

“I’ll crush them with tennis,” he promised. 

“Thank you, but you don’t need to do that,” Hari smiled.

“I know,” he said. “But I want to.” 

Hari shook her head, “leave them be.” 

“Fine,” he muttered. 

“Thank you, Ryo-chan,” Hari smiled at him and looked back at the tennis ball she was still tossing up in the air before catching it again. “…I suppose I’m not meant to be part of a team. No one seems to want me.” 

It was something she wouldn’t admit to anyone but Ryoma, but with only him in her room, she found herself telling him. She blinked when she felt someone sitting down next to her and a hand reached out and took hers. She swallowed as she glanced over at Ryoma who wasn’t looking at her. 

“You’ll find a team,” he said. 

She leaned against him and rested her head on his shoulder. No more words were necessary between them. 

 

Yoshida walked with determined steps toward Ryuzaki’s office. Her hands clenched at her side as she closed in on her set location. She reached the door and hesitated for a moment taking a deep breath before lifting her hand to knock on the door. 

She slid the door open and saw that both Tezuka and Oishi was there obviously talking with Ryuzaki about something. She fought the blush she felt coming when Tezuka looked at her. 

“Yoshida-san,” Ryuzaki greeted. “I wasn’t expecting you.” 

“I’m sorry for interrupting, sensei,” Yoshida said self-consciously. 

“Don’t worry about it,” Ryuzaki said waving her into the room. 

She entered and closed the door behind her as she glanced at Tezuka again before looking back at Ryuzaki. It was difficult… She had learned what had caused Hari to quit and she felt bad. She never wanted the girls to do something like that and she was obviously not doing a good job as their Captain. 

“What is your problem, Yoshida-san?” Ryuzaki asked. 

“I want to resign as the Captain of the girl's team, Sensei,” Yoshida said clearly stunning the others in the room. 

“Why?” Ryuzaki asked shocked. 

“I am not right to lead a team,” Yoshida said slightly bitter. “I’m not good enough to keep them together.” 

“Yoshida-san…” Oishi sounded worried. 

She felt worse at his worry. She didn’t deserve it. 

“Does this have anything to do with Echizen-san?” Ryuzaki asked pensively. 

Tezuka and Oishi looked confused but didn’t say anything. 

“They pushed her out because of me,” Yoshida said. “I can’t live with that.” 

“What do you mean?” Ryuzaki asked. 

“I said that I wanted to play her because I do think she’s better than me,” Yoshida told them. “From what I can tell she is the best player on our team. Not very surprising, I suppose. I think the girls thought she would threaten my place in the team or something because they treated her…badly. I never knew it got so bad that she would quit, though.” 

“Are you talking about Hari-chan?” Oishi interrupted wide-eyed. “She plays tennis?” 

Yoshida glanced over at him but didn’t say anything. 

“Echizen Hari does play tennis,” Ryuzaki was the one to answer. “She’s quite good too. Nanjiro brags about her when I talk to him. I thought she would help lift the girls’ team, but…it doesn’t seem like that will happen since she quit yesterday.” 

Yoshida inhaled deeply again and looked at Ryuzaki with a new determination in her eyes. 

“Sensei,” she said making Ryuzaki arch a brow. “I know it’s not very common and most schools never practice it, but… I did some research and I found that it is allowed for girls to join the boys’ team. There’s no rule against it. It has been done before as well, but not often and it’s a few years ago. But… I think that Echizen-san could be allowed to join the boys’ team.” 

Ryuzaki, Tezuka and Oishi stared at her making her shift on her feet but met Ryuzaki’s eyes determinedly. 

“You really think she’s good enough?” Ryuzaki asked. 

“I do,” Yoshida said. “Watch her play one match against someone you know is good. See her in action.” 

Ryuzaki leaned forward and folded her hands that was popped up on the desk in front of her as she looked at Yoshida before looking over at Tezuka. 

“What do you think Tezuka?” Ryuzaki asked. 

“I think talent is more important than gender,” Tezuka answered stoically as he adjusted his glasses. 

“Then who should she play?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so a new chapter. So sorry for the wait!! I got a little stuck on this because I didn't know just how I wanted it to go. So I do apologize for the rushed feeling you might get. I want things to move forward so I decided to just kind of rush through the period Hari is on the girl's team. 
> 
> Who do you want her to play to prove she's good enough for the boy's team? I will listen to your suggestions. It could be someone on the team already or from another school.  
> (Just to say, she's not as good as the regulars on the boy's team (yet). She still has work to do before she can match them. Though, I do want her over with them now so...I decided to do it this way.)
> 
> What do you think about Yoshida? Should she resign or should they talk her out of it? 
> 
> Thank you for your patience and your support :)
> 
> Japanese words used:  
> Tensai - genius  
> Saa - filler  
> Ohayo - good morning  
> Sempai - something they call their seniors  
> Sensei - teacher/coach  
> Hai - yes  
> Nani mo - nothing


	11. A new team?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing!  
> ...  
> ...  
>  **"parseltongue"**  
>  "regular speak"

Hari smiled at Ryoma who was smirking at her confidently and Hari knew very well that Ryoma had a reason to smirk. He was winning, but that wasn’t anything new. She was determined though, she would at least get a few points from him. 

“Mada mada dane, Hari,” Ryoma called over the net to her. 

“Whatever, Ryo-chan!” Hari called back. “I still have a chance!” 

He just smirked and she felt the need to wipe it off his face. He looked just like his dad when he smirked like that. Something she told him and she laughed at the horrified look that crossed his face as he spluttered at her. 

“What…I…No way…! You can’t say something like that, Hari!” Ryoma spluttered. 

Hari took advantage and hit the tennis ball back and managed to spin it so that Ryoma didn’t reach it making her take the game. 

“That’s cheating, Hari,” Ryoma whined. 

“Eh? What did I do?” Hari asked innocently. 

Ryoma glared at her telling her enough that he didn’t buy her innocent act. 

Nanjiro who was seated in the small bell tower reading his magazine while also watching his kids (he still grinned at the thought) play tennis chuckled amusedly as he listened to their bickering. He knew it wasn’t serious just fun between the two. It was also good to see Ryoma loosen up a little more, around Hari he would act more like his age. 

Nanjiro watched as Hari tried her best to stop Ryoma and with her speed, she would be a challenge when she got her technique sharper. She had taken large steps, though, from where she had been when she first arrived. 

“Mada mada dane,” Ryoma said again when he took the last point he needed to win the match. 

“I’ll win next time,” Hari poked her tongue out at him. 

“Real mature, Hari,” Ryoma snorted. 

Nanjiro laughed when Hari just smirked at Ryoma. 

 

Hari was at the library working on her homework while Ryoma was at tennis practice. She had almost gone to watch him play, but something held her back. She didn’t feel like going back there just yet, while she didn’t regret quitting it was still a little painful to remember how they treated her there. 

She blinked when she heard the scraping of a chair close by and looked up to see a boy and a girl sitting down at her table. They looked familiar, but Hari couldn’t quite place them. 

“Hey Echizen-san,” the girl smiled. 

“Hey,” Hari said the greeting is slightly dragged out as she eyed the two. 

The girl was looking at her with round hazel eyes hidden behind thick glasses and a mane of brown hair that was roughly tied back in a messy ponytail. She had the usual school uniform, no surprise there, and Hari noticed a bracelet around her left wrist with some charms on it. 

The boy had half-long brown hair and grey eyes that were staring at Hari curiously making her want to shift in her seat as she felt she was being studied. He looked a little goofy with a small gap between his teeth. 

“I’m Nakashima Sora,” the girl smiled at her. “You can call me Sora if you want.” 

“I’m Nakashima Hiraku,” the boy followed up and waved at her. “You can call me Hira.” 

Twins? Hari blinked and looked between the two. She remembered them now, they were in her class. 

“Echizen Hari,” Hari said and smiled slightly, “but you already know that. Call me Hari, though.” 

They smiled at her and she gave them a curious look. She wasn’t sure what they wanted or why they had sat down at her table. 

“We know,” they both said and she was suddenly reminded of Fred and George making her smile a little nostalgically. She did miss those two. 

“We thought you might be lonely sitting her alone,” Sora said. 

“So we decided to come and sit by you,” Hira added. 

Hari looked at them for a second longer before she relaxed her shoulders slightly and gave them a small smile. 

“I see,” Hari said. 

“Are you doing your homework?” Sora asked. 

“Yeah, almost done though,” Hari nodded. “You?” 

“We’re done,” they both said. “We could help you if you like.”

“Oh, um, you don’t have to,” Hari said quickly. 

“We want to,” Sora told her. 

“Yeah,” Hira nodded beside her. 

“Okay,” Hari accepted. “I do struggle slightly with the literature class.” 

Both Sora and Hira nodded and started to talk about the book they had been assigned to read and Hari nodded and was soon pulled into their discussion of the book helping her to finally understand it a little better. 

When they finished it was starting to get darker outside and Hari glanced at the clock. The tennis practice should be over soon and she wanted to meet Ryoma before he went home.

“Thank you for your help,” Hari said when she had packed her books back into her bags and had put the bag over her shoulder. 

“You’re welcome,” they smiled at her. 

Hari shook her head as she again shook the resemblance (of manners) to Fred and George off as she looked away from them. 

They walked out of the school together and Hari thanked them once more before telling them she was going to go and find her brother before going home. 

 

Hari was walking up to the tennis court where the late practice was just finished and Hari could see that they had even gotten the chance to change and get ready to go home. She spots Ryoma next to Momoshiro like normal and she also noticed Fuji next to Tezuka. 

“Hari-chan!” Kikumaru beamed and bounced over to her attaching himself to her neck. 

“Sempai,” Hari complained. “Breathe…” 

“Eiji!” Oishi snapped and pulled the redhead back. 

I seemed like it was going to become a normal occurrence every time Hari showed up and she sighed resigned knowing it was nothing she could really do to stop the excitable acrobat. She ignored the voice in her mind telling her that she liked it. 

“Ryo-chan,” Hari waved over at her brother. 

“Hari,” he nodded. “Deciding to wait for me?” 

“Yeah,” Hari shrugged, “I did my homework.” 

Ryoma nodded in understanding. “And you didn’t want to get lost on your way home.” 

Hari scowled at him. 

“I wouldn’t get lost,” she protested. 

“You would,” Ryoma snorted. 

“No, I wouldn’t!” Hari denied. “I could have gotten home by myself!” 

“You get lost at least once a day, Hari,” Ryoma gave her a look. 

“I don’t,” she grumbled. 

Momoshiro was laughing as he watched the two siblings bicker and the annoyed look on Hari’s face. He could see Fuji looking amused as well and the rest of the team was also looking amused and some were chuckling as they watched the two. 

“Hari-san,” Tezuka spoke up bringing the bickering to a stop as both Echizen’s turned to look at the captain. He was watching Hari with a contemplative look on his face like he was seeing her for the first time or something like that. 

“Hai?” Hari asked confused. Tezuka had never really addressed her before. 

“Come to practice tomorrow after class,” he said and with that, he gave a short nod and walked away from them like he hadn’t just ordered her to come to practice the next day. 

Hari looked confused after him blinking a few times before looking back at Ryoma and arched a brow. 

“You know what that was about, Ryo-chan?” she asked. 

“No,” Ryoma shook his head. “I don’t.” 

Hari turned to look at Fuji who was (surprise, surprise) smiling at her. His smile only widened when he saw her looking at her. 

“Fuji-sempai?” Hari asked. “You know why he wants me at practice tomorrow?” 

“Saa,” he smiled. “I think you know as well, Hari-chan.” 

Hari shook her head and frowned when the older boy just laughed before leaving as well. He knew - Hari was sure of it. 

 

The next day had Hari curious and confused in two equal parts as she tried to figure out why Tezuka had told her to come to practice. There was no reason for it as far as she could tell, but it was clear that he had meant it. 

Ryoma had been no help at all, just told her to come and see what he wanted. She had told him that she wasn’t even a part of the tennis club so he didn’t really have a say in what she did or didn’t do, but Ryoma had just shrugged. 

“I don’t even know why I’m going,” Hari mumbled to herself. 

“Because you’re curious,” a voice said beside Hari making her jump slightly and her head snapped to the side to see Fuji (of course it was him) having joined her without her noticing it. 

Hari rolled her eyes and focused in front of her again as she made her way through the school and scowled when she saw a couple of the girls from the girls’ team glaring at her. She felt tense and a flash of a stone corridor and whispers following her hit her making her stumble a couple of steps. 

Fuji reached out to steady her but she flinched away from him and he pulled his hand back with a small frown and eyes opened as he looked at her. When she glanced over at him he quickly closed his eyes and smiled. 

“You okay?” he asked. 

“I’m fine,” Hari mumbled and felt like hitting herself for allowing something like that to affect her. She had gotten away from that, from Hogwarts. She was free of the whispers and rumours, and she was not known as the Girl-Who-Lived here, she was just Hari and anonymous. 

Or so she liked to believe. 

She was grateful that Fuji didn’t ask anymore or attempted to carry a conversation with her. She found that she didn’t really mind his presence next to her either, it was almost like having Ryoma or Ron or Hermione there. She felt safe around him and that…that startled her almost enough to make her stumble again. Luckily she caught herself and quickly schooled her face that she was sure had shown a moment of shock as she had come to that realisation. 

 

Hari stood beside Ryoma and waited for Tezuka to show up to explain just why he had asked her to come. She was aware that Fuji was watching her, but she ignored him the best she could. She smiled as Ryoma nudged her and gave her a look. 

She listened to the team chatter around her and let their cheerful voices relax her and she was pulling into their chatter and laughter. She dodged Momoshiro trying to tickle her, she laughed as she managed to trip him making him fall to the ground pouting up at her. 

A little while later Tezuka and Ryuzaki entered the court, both looking around until they spotter Hari. Ryuzaki gave a thoughtful look as she watched Hari interact with the regulars of the boys' tennis team and she realised that it already looked like she was a part of them. 

“Oh, gomen ne,” Yoshida’s slightly breathless voice sounded interrupting the easy-going teasing and chatter going on as they became aware that they had company. “I’m late.” 

Ryuzaki noticed that Hari stiffened when she spotted Yoshida and that her green eyes flickered from Yoshida to her and to Tezuka quickly as she clearly thought. It was curious to see the sharp look in those green eyes as she looked between them all clearly calculating. 

“It’s alright, Yoshida-san,” Ryuzaki said. 

“Sensei, what is going on?” Momoshiro asked curiously with a large smile on his face. 

Ryuzaki glanced at Hari who had narrowed her eyes as she watched her. 

“Hari-san,” Ryuzaki said. “I want you to play a game against Fuji.” 

The team stilled and gaped in surprise as they stared at Ryuzaki. It was silent and it was a wonder that no one had spoken yet, but Ryuzaki knew it was only a matter of time. 

“Eh?” Momoshiro gaped. 

**“What if the dynamic individual ate the fault?”** Kaido hissed. 

“Why, sensei?” Kikumaru asked curiously as he bounced lightly on his heel. 

Hari didn’t say anything as she stared at Yoshida who squirmed slightly under Hari’s stare. Ryoma had gone quiet and still beside her, but it was clear to see that he was worried as he glanced at Hari with worry in his eyes. 

“You’ll see,” Ryuzaki said and focused on Hari. “Are you ready to play, Hari-san?” 

Hari looked away from Yoshida and to Ryuzaki who met her eyes calmly. 

“Why?” Hari asked. “I don’t see why I should play against Fuji-sempai.” 

“You don’t want to play me, Hari-chan?” Fuji teasing voice interrupted her. “Saa….I’m hurt.” 

Hari scowled at him, “sure you are.” 

He smirked. 

“Well, you can make it better and play a match against me,” he said looking serious but yet amused at the same way. Hari wasn’t sure how he managed that. “If you’re not…scared?” 

Hari glared at him. She knew what he was doing, but she couldn’t stop herself from reacting. She cursed herself for falling into his trap. Because that was what this was. A trap. He was goading her and she fell for it despite knowing better. 

“Fine,” she snapped. “I’ll play you.” 

He laughed and picked up his racket. Hari blinked when Ryoma gave her his racket since she hadn’t brought her own. 

 

“I’m confused,” Momoshiro muttered as he watched Hari and Fuji getting ready to play. 

“About what?” Kawamura asked from beside him. 

“Why does Ryuzaki-sensei want Hari-chan to play against Fuji-sempai?” Momoshiro asked. 

Kawamura shrugged but he had always been more likely to just wait and see trusting that he got the answers when it was time. Momoshiro admired that about him. 

“Just watch, Momo-sempai,” Ryoma spoke up and Momoshiro turned to look at his friend to see him watching Hari with an intense look on his face. “I’m sure you’ll understand soon.” 

Momoshiro huffed but he didn’t say anything else. 

“Oishi, Oishi,” Kikumaru nagged at Oishi who was trying to ignore him. “Why are Hari-chan playing Fujiko-chan?” 

“Wait and see, Eiji,” Oishi finally said and pushed the hyper boy slightly away from him as he had been leaning on his shoulder. 

 

Hari gripped the racket a couple of time getting the feel of it as she watched Fuji on the other side of the net. She was curious about playing Fuji, she could feel the challenge burst through her body in bursts of adrenaline making her almost twitchy and unable to stand still. 

Yet…she knew she was being tested for something and it irked her. She didn’t like now knowing what was going on and while she could deal with the unknown, she didn’t particularly like doing it. Not if she could help it. 

She saw Ryuzaki seated in the elevated chair to act as the referee for the match while the rest of the regulars and some of the non-regulars as well were gathered outside of the netting fence watching them curiously. 

 

Tezuka stood beside Oishi with a stoic expression on his face as he studied Hari on the court. She looked relaxed yet focused; her eyes sharp behind her glasses as she stared at Fuji. Tezuka had a distinct feeling that she was trying to read him and noticed all the small details that were about him. 

The game had started with Fuji starting to serve. Tezuka was glad to see that he took it seriously enough, but also kept it open so he could test Hari’s abilities. It had been unnecessary for Tezuka to ask Fuji to do this, he would be interested and curious enough to do so by himself. 

Fuji hit a ball back over the net and it was on the opposite side of where Hari was and Tezuka was sure it would result in Fuji getting the necessary point to win the game, but Hari was moving and threw herself forward with the racket in front of her managing to hit the ball much to Tezuka’s surprise. 

Fuji didn’t return it as it landed just over the net and Tezuka could see him staring at Hari who was pushing herself off the ground not caring that her knee was scraped and bleeding slightly. Her eyes determinedly looking back at Fuji. 

“Wow,” Tezuka heard Momoshiro say and glanced over to see the second year stare wide-eyed at Hari. “I didn’t know she could play like that!” 

“Me neither,” Kikumaru agreed. “Hari-chan is good!” 

Tezuka looked back at the game and saw Hari and Fuji back at playing for the last point of the game. Fuji served the ball again and Hari managed to return it. They rallied back and forth for a little bit before Fuji managed to get the ball past Hari and won the first game. 

If Tezuka thought that Hari would show disappointment over the loss of the first game he would have been surprised because all he saw was a new determination as she narrowed her eyes as she watched Fuji. Fuji who was smiling but looked pensive as well. 

Tezuka arched a brow as he saw Hari grab the racket in a continental grip. He watched her do a close to perfect slice serve to make Fuji nearly miss the ball, but he managed to get it and hit it back. Tezuka knew that if Fuji had to work to get it, then others would miss it. 

Throughout the game Hari used the continental grip and used the slice serve, while still needing work it was pretty good.

 

Finally they finished the match and Fuji won 6-4 and Hari was breathing harder than normal and looked tired as she dumped down on the court without looking over at Fuji or the watching team. Her eyes were focused on Ryoma’s red racket that she still had in her hand. 

The match had been rough, but fun. Hari could still feel the thrill going through her as she fought to keep up with Fuji. Oh, she knew he was purposely dragging the match out. 

“Hari,” Ryoma said as he came up to her. 

She looked up and gave him a tired smile. 

“Ryo-chan.” 

“Hari-chan!” Momoshiro and Kikumaru both yelled as they came running up behind Ryoma and stared down at her. 

“You never said you could play tennis!” Kikumaru whined. “Hari-chan! Meany!” 

“You played well, Hari-chan,” Momoshiro said a little calmer than Kikumaru. 

Hari just shrugged and blinked when a water bottle was pushed in front of her and she looked up to see Kawamura smiling down at her. 

“Thank you, sempai,” Hari accepted the bottle gratefully and took deep greedy mouthfuls of water feeling the cold water pass down her throat. 

The regulars plus Yoshida was gathered around her now and Fuji had also joined them looking like he hadn’t just played a match. That annoyed Hari as she gave him a glare. The smug tensai just smiled at her. 

Hari felt a little better and got back up on her feet. She looked at Tezuka and Ryuzaki who was watching in silence as the others talked and asked questions. 

“Okay,” Hari finally gave in and raised her hands to make them stop asking questions. “I’ll answer. Yes, I play tennis. Yes, I have for a few years. Yes, it was Ryoma who taught me.” 

She felt like laughing when she saw the blinking they did when she listed up her answers like that. But she didn’t feel like elaborating, so she kept it short and to the point. 

“You should have told me,” Momoshiro said. “We could have played!” 

Hari smiled and nodded, “we could have. I just wanted to get a chance to practice a little before playing any of you because it had been a while since I got to play and I needed to get a little better before I could start playing against any of you. Getting trashed by Ryo-chan and Nanjiro every day is enough.” 

Momoshiro snorted but he nodded and gave her a grin, “we will play soon!” 

Hari gave a nod of acceptance and looked at Ryuzaki who was watching her with a calculating look. She smiled when she caught Hari’s eye, though. 

“So…what was this all about, sensei?” Hari asked. “Why have Fuji-sempai test me?” 

“You figured it out?” Ryuzaki asked but she didn’t look surprised.

“It wasn’t exactly very hard to see that,” Hari shrugged and pushed her hands into her pockets. “Why, though, that’s a different matter.” 

Her eyes strayed over to Yoshida who seemed to swallow and took a determined step forward. Her shoulders tense and hands wrung together. 

“I told her to,” Yoshida said. “Echizen-san.” 

“Why?” Hari deadpanned. 

“Because you’re too good to quit tennis,” Yoshida said. 

Hari stared at her for a moment ignoring the surprised murmurs around her as she looked at the other girl. She finally gave a sigh and looked away from her. 

“Just because I quit the team doesn’t mean that I’ll quit tennis,” Hari said. “I can play in different ways, Yoshida-san.” 

Yoshida looked slightly surprised at that. 

“You quit tennis?” Kikumaru repeated confused and for once not bouncing in his shock. “Wait, does that mean that you were actually in the tennis club?” 

"Good data," Inui muttered. 

Hari glanced over at him and nodded. 

“I was,” she said. “But I quit.” 

“Why?” Inui asked with his notebook ready and Hari noticed that he had been scribbling away the whole time. 

“I don’t need to be on a team that doesn’t treat you like one of them,” Hari said blankly. “I did that once and won’t do that again. It’s better to be on your own than to do that.” 

The loneliness of being surrounded by others that shut you out and talked behind your back and whispered about you, the feeling of being so alone and small was not something Hari wanted to do again. Then it was better to just be alone and not under the pretence of being in a team that looked out for each other. 

They looked at her with frowns and Ryoma was scowling and clenched his fists. 

“I…I’m sorry,” Yoshida spoke up again making the other look at her having forgotten that she was there. Hari didn’t reveal what she was thinking as she looked at her. “I didn’t know…I should have stopped them from doing it.” 

Hari saw that the older girl was sincere in her apology and felt bad about what had happened, something that Hai hadn’t really expected. 

“Alright, but I don’t see why I had to play Fuji-sempai, though,” Hari said. “Even if you’re sorry about what happened.” 

Ryuzaki stepped forward again then and smiled warmly down at Hari. 

“Yoshida-san came to talk to me and Tezuka and Oishi,” Ryuzaki said. “She explained what happened and told me she wanted to resign as the Captain of the girls regular.” 

“Nani?” Hari blinked. “Nande?” 

“Because she felt she doesn’t have what it takes to be a leader,” Ryuzaki said making Hari frown slightly. “She also asked us to allow you onto the boys' team.” 

“Nani?” Hari asked again despite the fact that she was just repeating herself. She was just so surprised and caught off guard that she couldn’t find another word. 

“She suggested having you play someone to see if you were good enough,” Ryuzaki continued like Hari hadn’t interrupted her. “Tezuka agreed and suggested having Fuji play you.” 

Hari glanced over at Fuji who looked calm and smiling like normal. She wondered if had been asked beforehand. 

“Saa, you could have told me that, Tezuka,” Fuji commented and answered Hari’s unasked question. 

Tezuka didn’t answer, but Hari was sure he hid a smile. 

“So…” Kikumaru looked around and started to bounce again. “Hari-chan is joining us?” 

Hari startled and looked at him before looking back at Ryuzaki and Tezuka. She was…but she had lost so she wasn’t, right? She wasn’t good enough, not yet. Maybe not ever. 

“Yes,” Tezuka said making Hari’s head snap up again and stared at him with wide eyes. 

“Eh?” Hari said. “But…I lost.” 

Ryoma smirked next to her, but he looked pleased. 

“You have a place on the team if you want it,” Tezuka said coolly. “Hari-san, you played one of the best on the team, so you managing to win four games were very impressive. You showed much talent and potential and proved that you have a place on the boys’ team.” 

“But…” Hari frowned and looked over at Fuji who arched a brow at her. “He didn’t go all out. He held back and if he had been serious from the start he would have crushed me completely.” 

“You saw that?” Tezuka asked. 

“Well, yeah, of course,” Hari said. “It was obvious.” 

“Not to everyone,” Tezuka said. “He tested your skills and potential. You didn’t need to win to convince me that you are good enough.” 

Hari shook her head slightly and looked at Ryoma who smiled at her. 

“You’re good, Hari,” he said, “I’ve told you that before.” 

Hari felt confused and hopeful and…scared. 

“You’ll have to play for a place as one of the regulars like the others,” Ryuzaki said. 

Hari wasn’t sure what to think or act as she looked at the coach trying to figure out if it was some kind of plot. So, okay maybe she was a little paranoid, but didn’t she have a right to be? But she was unable to find anything as she stared at the older woman. 

“I…” Hari was normally not one to get lost for words or not know how to act. 

“Come on, Hari,” Ryoma nudged her shoulder. “We’ll be your team.” 

Hari noticed Tezuka look at Ryoma for a moment before he looked back at her, but she looked at her brother and remembered the talk they’d had just a few days ago. Was it possible she could have a team with Ryoma? That way she could be a part of something like him, the same thing as him?

Hope flared in her chest and she repressed a smile from breaking free. 

 

“Okay,” Hari said deciding to give it one more chance. Give Ryoma and the others a chance to prove that she could be a part of a team, a good team. “I’ll accept.” 

“Good,” Ryuzaki nodded. “You will join us for practice like the others and know that I won’t show any leniency because you’re a girl. I will expect the same of you as I will of them, ok?” 

Hari nodded, “hadn’t expected anything less.” 

Ryuzaki nodded once more and turned around and left them alone. Hari blinked after her not really sure what just happened. A sudden attack had her stumbling slightly as she suddenly had Kikumaru attached around her neck and being hugged tightly once more broke her out of her thoughts and was pulled back (again) by Oishi who was wearing a resigned look on his face. 

“I’m so happy you’re going to join us, Hari-chan!” Kikumaru beamed. 

Hari stilled for a moment and she tried to keep her face as blank she could manage, but a smile did break free and she was sure a small blush was colouring her cheeks. Happiness fluttered in her chest as she looked at the team around her and all of them were smiling at her. Even Tezuka (even if it was only a small one) much to her shock. 

“Thank you,” Hari said feeling shy. 

**“Does the tops captain rock,”** Kaido hissed making her startle and fight not to laugh as she turned to look at him. He gave her a sort of smile and she was sure it was meant to be encouraging but he was still scowling so it looked a little awkward, but she smiled back making him blush embarrassed and looked away. 

 

Nanjiro and Rinko looked up when they heard the door open and footsteps entering the house. They could hear the laughter coming from Hari and Ryoma’s low voice was barely reaching them but it was clear that he had said something that made Hari laugh. 

Rinko smiled pleased that Hari was laughing and sounded lighter than she had in a while. She had been worried about the girl and still was, but she was also hopeful that she would be able to fully settle in here and have the life she deserved. 

“Tadaima,” Hari smiled at them when she entered the living room slightly in front of Ryoma. 

“Okaeri,” Rinko smiled back. “How was your day?” 

“Good,” Hari said with a shrug while Ryoma rolled his eyes behind her. 

“Ryoma?” Nanjiro had obviously seen the eye-roll as well and called him out on it with a teasing smirk, “something to add?” 

Hari turned slightly and narrowed her eyes at Ryoma. 

“Hari made the tennis team today,” Ryoma stated. 

Nanjiro and Rinko blinked and looked at Hari who blushed slightly and shrugged trying to look like she was not affected at all. 

“I thought you quit,” Nanjiro asked and a small pout was on his face since he hadn’t liked the idea of her quitting. Though, he had understood when Ryoma explained the reason why. Rinko had been a little surprised (though she really shouldn’t have been) when Nanjiro had gotten really serious and actually cursed and threatened to go down to the court to teach the girls a lesson. Hari had stopped him, though. 

“I did,” Hari said. 

“Ryuzaki-sensei and Tezuka-Captain both arranged for her to join the boy’s team after watching her play against Fuji-sempai,” Ryoma explained when Hari didn’t say anything more. 

“Oh?” Nanjiro asked leaning back and grinned. “The old hag arranged that?” 

Hari arched a brow at him, “rather rude, don’t you think?” 

“Nah,” Nanjiro waved it off. “So, how did it go?” 

“I lost,” Hari scowled making Nanjiro laugh. “I’ll work on it. I’ll beat him one day when he’s not testing me for some reason or another.” 

Nanjiro laughed again and smirked at her before suddenly he frowned. 

“I’m happy for you, sweetie,” Rinko was saying when Nanjiro suddenly straightened up and stared at Hari with wide hazel-brown eyes. 

“He’s a boy,” Nanjiro suddenly said making the others stop and look at him like he was crazy. 

“Well, yeah,” Hari said slowly. 

“He’s a boy and you’re a girl,” Nanjiro proclaimed. 

Hari looked from him to Rinko who was looking like she wanted to laugh and trying to hold it in. 

“Dear, I think everyone knows that,” she told him. 

“You’re going to be surrounded by boys all day when you play tennis with the boy’s team,” Nanjiro wailed, “you can’t! You just have to play tennis with me and Ryoma here away from the teenaged boys!” 

Hari glared at Ryoma who laughed and looked way too amused while Rinko also let out a small laugh. 

“No way,” Hari said. 

“Hari-chan!” Nanjiro whined. “You can’t be around boys! They’re the enemy!” 

“Ryo-chan is a boy,” Hari said. 

“He’s your brother,” Nanjiro defended. 

“So, Fuji-sempai is my friend,” Hari shrugged, “and the others could be as well.” 

Nanjiro sank back looking forlorn and sulking, but Hari just shrugged and allowed a small smile cross her face. Especially when Nanjiro gave her a rather pathetic look but sank back when he saw her looking amused. 

“Ryoma! You’re tasked with keeping Hari safe from those boys!” Nanjiro declared seriously and pointed a waving finger at his son. “Understood?!” 

Ryoma blinked before he huffed looking resigned at being pulled into the mess his father created. While Hari and Rinko looked amused, well, mostly, Hari also looked a little worried. She hoped he wouldn’t do anything drastic. 

 

**Hogwarts**

 

Hermione sighed as she closed the book and looked around the common room. It was half-filled and starting to empty out as it was getting late. Though, not all had a rush to say goodnight and go to bed for the day. 

She was seated in the best seats by the fire and Ron was in the chair next to her staring at the fire with a forgotten book opened on his lap. His blue eyes had that faraway look that he so often had these days and she knew what was bothering him. How could she not when the same thing was bothering her? 

She sighed again and pulled a hand through her bushy hair wincing slightly as she got stuck in a knot, but she managed to work it out and wished she could have asked Hari to help her brush her hair with that magical potion. She could do it on her own, but it was something Hari often had helped her with and something they had bonded over. 

“I wonder where Hari is,” Ron said breaking the silence that surrounded them. He didn’t look at her, but she knew he was directing his words to her knowing that she was next to him. 

“Me too,” Hermione confessed quietly. 

Dumbledore and McGonagall had both called them to their office and asked if they had any idea where Hari was. Hermione had been worried and scared when she realised that Hari had left her aunt and uncle’s house in Surrey and that no one had any idea where she had gone. 

They hadn’t.

Dumbledore himself had gone to see Hari’s aunt and uncle but from what Hermione could tell had been unsuccessful in finding something. She had heard Flitwick and Sprout talking after one class one day saying that the Dursley’s had moved and was unable to find them in the muggle world. 

Anyway, back to the point, no one knew where Hari was and Hermione worried. 

“Do you think,” Ron turned to look at her and lowered his voice as he glanced around to see that no one was close by, “that Sirius picked her up and they’re together?” 

Hermione thought for a moment. That wasn’t completely out of the question; she knew he had asked Hari to move in with him when they thought he would be cleared. But, he hadn’t been and he had gone on the run. Honestly, she thought it would be too dangerous for Hari to join him. Being on the run wasn’t a life for a thirteen-year-old girl. 

“I don’t think so,” Hermione finally said. “I don’t think Sirius would be able to take care of her. To keep her safe while on the run from Dementors. I can’t see him putting her in danger like that.” 

Ron’s shoulders sagged as he nodded. 

“I don’t know where she would have gone, though,” Ron complained. “We’re her friends and does she even know anyone in the muggle world?” 

Hermione gave a helpless shrug. She hated not knowing, she hated not being able to answer a question. Especially when it was about her best friend’s safety. 

“I don’t know,” Hermione admitted. “She did talk about one friend once, but I don’t think she had any contact with him since before Hogwarts.” 

Ron sighed and nodded. 

“Professor Dumbledore thinks we know more than we say,” Ron said. 

“I know,” Hermione nodded. “But we don’t and I’m not sure I would tell him if I did.” 

Ron arched a brow at her, “what am I hearing? Hermione Granger wants to withhold information from the headmaster?” 

“Shut up,” Hermione scoffed, but she smiled slightly. “Not if I thought that Hari was safe and happy. I hope she’s both.” 

“But what if…” Ron frowned. 

“I can’t think about that,” Hermione shuddered and looked pained. 

Ron nodded and looked back into the fireplace again. He frowned as he thought. Hermione had learned to rely more on Ron the last few weeks, he had been strong for her as they missed Hari. She knew Ron also missed Hari something fierce, but he had managed to give Hermione strength and support. 

Though, he could be a little hot-headed at times. 

 

Hermione ignored the stares and whispers that followed her out of the Great Hall the next morning as she made her way to the Charms class with Ron and Neville. They were silent as they walked and Hermione noticed Ron scowling as he noticed the stares. He didn’t like the attention, and while he had often envied Hari for that attention he seemed to now understand that it wasn’t easy or even a good thing to always be stared at and whispered about. 

It wasn’t anything new. Since Hari was suspended they had been stared at, gossiped about, cornered to find out why Hari was suspended from school. Why the Minister of Magic himself had interfered and pulled strings getting the suspension to get past the Headmaster and stick. 

Hermione had ignored them the best she could, but the almost hostile whispers were getting to both her and Ron. The way many seemed to think that Hari was getting the worst punishment and that they had thrown her (as the muggles say) under the bus. 

That wasn’t true at all. They hadn’t, and they never would. She would have taken the same punishment as Hari if necessary but the professors had said it was out of their hands and Hari wouldn’t have wanted them to be suspended as well. 

Hari had looked relieved when she learned that Ron and Hermione weren’t getting suspended, but there had been a look of resigned defeat in her emerald green eyes. Something Hermione didn’t like and make her worry for her friend even more. 

Dumbledore had asked them not to write to Hari, and Hermione had never seen Ron so angry before. But the headmaster had remained set in his ways and stood by his decision, saying that the less attention they brought to Hari from Fudge the better. 

They had kept their word for the first weeks and hating themselves for it. Until they had broken it and used Errol to send a letter, but he had returned with the letter unopened and worrying the both of them. 

They had tried a school owl, but she had come back as well with the letter tied to her leg. It seemed like it was impossible to get a letter through and Hermione had no idea why. She had tried to research the reasons, but she hadn’t found anything in her books. Finally, she had somehow managed to ask Flitwick in one of his class (masking it as simple curiosity) about letters being returned unopened and what it meant. 

The Charms professor had given her a look before he had said it was some wards that could be put up to keep owls from getting through, but it was rare to be used. 

Hermione and Ron were conflicted about what they thought. Were the wards around the house Hari stayed at in Surrey or was it just Hari sending the letters back unopened because she was angry at them? Did she blame them for what had happened? 

“She could be her noble-self and purposely be pushing us away to keep us away from situations like this,” Ron had said one night and Hermione had to admit that it was a likely explanation. 

 

“I still think we should do something,” Ron muttered as he sat by her side in Charms. They were sitting by themselves since no one from Gryffindor really wanted anything to do with them anymore. Again a feeling on how it had been for Hari when she had been blamed for things outside of her control. 

“Like what?” Hermione snapped frustrated. 

“I don’t know,” Ron snapped back. 

Hermione inhaled deeply as she tried to calm herself down. It wasn’t Ron’s fault. She shouldn’t take her frustration out on him. She listened to Flitwick explain a charm and demonstrate it, but half her mind was thinking about Hari and how to find her. There had to be some way they hadn’t thought about, something so simple that they really should have seen it… But what could they do? Especially being stuck at Hogwarts and away from the muggle world where Hari most likely was. 

“I have an idea,” Hermione said making Ron look over at her with a hopeful look in his eyes. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally a new chapter ready! What do you think? :) 
> 
> More Yoshida in the next chapter because I didn't have room to have more of her on this one. So, next chapter. :) 
> 
> Hope you liked the peek into the magical world and seeing how Ron and Hermione are dealing without Hari. I will not have peeks into the magical world every chapter, but once in a while. :) 
> 
> Thanks for reading and supporting the story! Feel free to let me know what you think or if you have questions or anything down in the comments and I'll do my best to answer you as fast as I can :) Love hearing from readers!
> 
> Japanese words used:  
> Hai - yes  
> Gomen ne - I'm sorry  
> Saa - filler  
> Sempai -  
> Sensei - teacher, coach  
> Tensai - genius  
> Nani - what?  
> Nande - why  
> Tadaima - I'm home  
> Okaeri - Welcome back


	12. First day of practice and a well played prank

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I own nothing!
> 
> **"Parsletongue"**

It wasn’t until Hari went to bed that she realised that she hadn’t talked to Yoshida after learning that she could join the boys’ team. Lying on her back and staring up at the ceiling had her thinking about the sad and yet determined look that had been on Yoshida’s face. She did look to be sorry about everything. 

Hari sighed and turned to her side as she tried to find a comfortable position. She knew that it hadn’t been Yoshida’s fault for how the other girls treated her, but at the same time she didn’t feel like the other girl had stuck up for her either. 

_She resigned as Captain,_ a small voice whispered in Hari’s mind. 

It was clear to Hari that Yoshida had worked hard to become the Captain of the girls’ team and one of the few who actually took tennis seriously. It was not something that Hari would or could dismiss and it had a bad taste in her mouth to know that she had been a part of the reason why Yoshida had resigned. 

Hari was confused. She didn’t know what to do or if she should do anything at all. Was it her problem that Yoshida had decided to resign? Hari hadn’t told her to do so, she hadn’t even told her what the other girls had said or done. She hadn’t meant for Yoshida to resign. 

_Doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t do something about it,_ the same voice in her mind said. It sounded very much like Hermione. 

Frustrated and confused Hari finally fell asleep despite not knowing more about what she should do about this. 

 

“Laugh it up,” Hari grumbled as she gave Ryoma a glare. Momoshiro was laughing as he watched them. 

“I will,” Ryoma said. 

“What are you talking about?” Momoshiro finally decided to break into the bickering only to have Hari glare at him before turning away with a huff. 

“Oyaji decided that Hari should stay home from school today and play tennis with him,” Ryoma explained with a laugh, “also thought she should be homeschooled from now on.” 

Momoshiro blinked, “eh, why?” 

“He’s gone crazy,” Hari muttered. 

“He always was crazy,” Ryoma told her but he smiled. 

“Don’t know why you’re so amused,” Hari shot at him. 

“For once he’s not focused on teasing me,” Ryoma shrugged. “Besides…it’s funny.” 

“Are you going to do that?” Momoshiro frowned slightly worried. He didn’t want her to quit. 

“As if,” Hari snorted. “He’s just having a momentary crisis. Rinko will snap him out of it.” 

Momoshiro blinked at her words and looked to Ryoma who was smirking again. He met his eyes and leaned closer to Momoshiro. 

“He’s not too happy about her being around boys,” Ryoma whispered. 

“Ah,” Momoshiro said and smiled amusedly. 

Hari noticed and narrowed her eyes at the two boys who quickly tried to school their expression when seeing the look on her face. They weren’t successful. 

 

It was lunch and Hari was about to find Momoshiro and Kaido when the twins she had met the day before stopped in front of her desk. Sora and Hira both smiled at her and she smiled back automatically. 

“Want to eat with us?” Sora asked. 

Hari glanced over at Momoshiro who was talking with a boy from their class and Kaido had already left, so she looked back at Sora and nodded. 

“Sure,” Hari said. 

Hari got up and followed the two out of the classroom with a wave at Momoshiro who looked confused but waved back. 

They ended up on the rooftop of the school and Hari immediately went to the edge and looked out over the schoolyard. She could see the tennis court from there but they were empty right now, not that she was surprised by that. 

She smiled as she leaned forward slightly and felt the wind on her face and hair, but soon a pair of hands pulled her back. 

“Are you trying to fall off?” Hira asked incredulously. 

“What? No, of course not,” Hari blinked at him. 

Sora laughed and pulled her brother down next to her before Hari sat down as well and found the bento that Nanako had made her. She grinned happily as she took a bite of the food and reminded herself to thank the older girl later. While it wasn’t like the food at Hogwarts it was still good and more than she would have received at the Dursley’s. 

“You like high places?” Sora asked breaking the silence making Hari look away from her food and to the other girl who was eating as well. 

“Mm,” Hari nodded. “I always felt like I could think better when I’m up somewhere high.” 

“Crazy,” Hira mumbled but he rolled his eyes and smiled slightly taking the sting out of his words. 

Hari just shrugged. Hermione had never understood that either, but Ron had. 

Hari had a good time during lunch with both Sora and Hira, she found that they were easy to be around. While they didn’t really know much about tennis Hari found that they really liked comics and movies. It fascinated Hari enough that she wanted to learn more. 

“Wait, wait,” Hira held up his hands as he stared at Hari with wide eyes. “You mean to tell me that you never, like not at all, have watched Star Wars?” 

Hari shook her head. 

“Lord of the Rings?” 

Hari shook her head again. 

“What about the Hobbit?” 

Hari sighed, “no.” 

“Have you lived under a rock?” Hira asked. 

No, she thought, only in a remote location without access to muggle culture.

“Perhaps,” Hari shrugged and leaned forward. “Is any of the movies good?” 

“It’s the best,” Hira exclaimed. 

“Oh, you really shouldn’t have said that” Sora sighed. “He will bore you with details about the movies for hours now.” 

“I will not!” Hira protested. “It’s not boring! You like the movies too, you know!” 

“Yes, but I don’t rant about them like a fanatic,” Sora huffed. “Besides, the books are better than the movies.” 

“Star Wars isn’t books,” Hira glared at her. “At least not the original story.” 

Hari smiled as she watched them bicker. 

The lunch bell interrupted their bickering and made them all scramble to get their things so they could get back down and to the classroom.

 

“Hari-chan,” Momoshiro grinned at her. “Are you ready for your first practice today?” 

Hari, who had been talking with Hira and Sora, looked over at him and grinned back at him. 

“Hai,” Hari nodded. 

“Practice?” Sora asked curiously. 

“Hari-chan here is a part of our tennis team,” Momoshiro explained and reached out to ruffle her hair, but Hari swatted his hand away. 

“When you said you liked tennis I didn’t think you meant you played with the boys,” Hira blinked. 

Hari shrugged, “it’s my first practice with them today.” 

“And we have to go before we’re late,” Momoshiro said. “Or Captain will kill us!” 

Hari grimaced. She didn’t really want to get Tezuka angry at her at the first practice. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Hari told Hira and Sora before following Momoshiro out of the classroom. 

They talked as they walked to the practice grounds making Hari feel a little more at ease and the nerves that were bubbling in her stomach to settle some. She really wanted this to work out. 

“Ah, Hari-chan,” Oishi was just getting out of the locker room when she and Momoshiro reached it. “I was just going to go and look for you.” 

“Oh?” Hari looked at him. 

“Come with me,” Oishi smiled. “Momo, you go and change.” 

Momoshiro nodded and disappeared into the locker room. Hari turned toward Oishi and followed him to a door leading into the back of the small house where the locker room for the boys was. She arched a brow when Oishi stopped in front of it.

“We thought you might need a different place to change,” Oishi explained and he couldn’t quite look at Hari as he reached up to rub the back of his head. “So, um, I cleaned out space here…” 

He pushed the door open and Hari stepped inside when he motioned for her to do so. She looked around, it wasn’t a large room, but it held a small bench and some shelves were put up on one of the walls so she could have a place to place her things and a few hooks were screwed on the side of the wall for her clothes. 

A small bathroom was even attached to the room and she could barely make out a shower inside. She felt her throat thicken as she took in the small room, she swallowed repeatedly to keep from doing something embarrassing. Like, start crying. It wasn’t the room in itself, but…the effort. 

“I know it’s not much,” Oishi explained, “but we thought it would be better for you and that way you don’t have to go all the way over to the other girls to change. But of course, if you want to do that you can…” 

Hari shook her head and smiled at him. 

“It’s great,” Hari said. “Arigatou!” 

Oishi smiled relieved and nodded. 

“Here,” Oishi handed her something and when she looked down into her hand when she received it she saw that it was a key. “For the door.”

Hari only nodded her words getting lost in her throat. Oishi smiled at her before turning around and walked out of the room. 

“Get changed,” Oishi said. “We’ll start practice soon.” 

Hari nodded again and locked the door behind him before walking to the bench and sat down. She inhaled deeply before letting it out again as she looked around. No one had ever done anything like this for her before. She had dreaded the thought of having to go and change in the locker room for the girls’ team. She hadn’t wanted to have to face them every day, but now she wouldn’t have to. 

She shook herself and quickly got changed before exiting her room and locked the door. She wouldn’t want anyone inside while she practised. 

 

“Ka-chan!” Hari beamed at Kaido who startled slightly. 

**“You are too short to see over the fence,”** he hissed.

“Hey,” Hari scowled at him. “No need to be offensive!” 

He blinked at her looking startled and was actually gaping at her while the others who had heard her looked at them confused. Hari folded her arms over her chest as she glowered at him. 

“Eh?” Kaido asked.

Hari noticed the confusion and wondered why he would be confused when he had just…Oh. She blinked and felt her eyes widen a little as she realised what had happened. Ups. She reached up and rubbed the back of her head as she gave a sheepish laugh. 

“Ah, gomen,” she looked away sheepishly. 

Stupid, she shouldn’t have forgotten that he had the tendency to speak parseltongue without knowing it and she had thought he had just insulted her because she understood what he said. 

Kaido blinked before shrugging and she guessed it meant she was forgiven or just dismissed as being weird. She grimaced slightly. 

Tezuka chose that moment to call for attention and Hari turned her attention to the Captain who gave his orders for the practice. 

They were first set to run around the courts and Hari had not much trouble keeping up with them. 

 

“Hari-san,” Tezuka stopped in front of her where she was taking a break to get something to drink after having run 30 laps around the court. 

“Hai, Captain?” Hari asked wiping her mouth with the back of her hands as she looked at him. 

“I want you to work on your serve,” he said. 

“My serve?” Hari repeated confused. 

“Yes,” he nodded. “Your Slice Serve that you used against Fuji.” 

“Ok,” Hari said. 

“Come on,” he said and turned walking away from her leaving her to follow him. She picked up her racket and followed him to the side of the court while the others spread out and started their own practice. 

“I noticed that your Serve is rather good,” Tezuka said adjusting his glasses as he looked at her. She smiled slightly at the praise. “I want you to work on it to develop it further.” 

“Sure,” Hari nodded. “I want to get better.” 

Tezuka nodded and much to Hari’s surprise got ready to help her himself. She blinked a couple of times before she got into position and tossed the first ball up in the air and with the racket in a continental grip hit the ball on the right-hand side making the ball spin. The side spin made the ball curve to the left and dipped slightly. 

Hari scowled when the ball didn’t continue like it should and it wasn’t as hard as she liked. 

“I want you to use a little more force and be careful to hit the ball with a cleaner hit,” Tezuka told her. 

Hari nodded and tried to do as Tezuka said. She hit ball after ball after ball until her arm felt like it would fall off, but she continued. Tezuka would occasionally stop her and give her advice on how to make it better, or how to adjust her grip. 

 

Hari was walking through the school and frowned when she found herself in a corridor she didn’t recognise. She scratched her head before sighing as she realised that she was yet again lost. She had thought she knew her way around the school by now, but here she was. Lost. 

She turned and started to walk back the way she came, or at least she thought she came and looked around. She had no idea where she was. 

“Echizen-san?” 

Hari looked up to see Yoshida standing there looking at her curiously and with a trace of nervousness. 

“Hey,” Hari said a little awkwardly. 

“What are you doing here?” Yoshida asked looking around. “It’s the third year classrooms.” 

Hari hummed and nodded as she looked around once more. 

“My classroom moved,” Hari sighed. 

“Your classroom moved?” Yoshida repeated. “You mean you have class in a different room than usual?” 

Hari shook her head, “no. I mean it’s not where it should be.” 

“You’re lost,” Yoshida said. 

“No,” Hari scowled. 

Yoshida looked at her for a moment like she tried to figure her out, but Hari just shrugged. 

“Alright,” Yoshida said sounding confused. “Aren’t you done for the day anyway?” 

Hari nodded, “yeah, but I had to get something from the classroom.” 

Yoshida nodded. 

The silence between them was awkward and tense as neither girl knew what to say or how to break the silence. Hari shifted on her feet as she stood there. 

“Um,” Hari cleared her throat. “Did you really resign?” 

Yoshida looked back at her before she nodded. 

“I did,” she said. 

“Why?” Hari asked. 

“I didn’t do a good enough job leading them,” Yoshida looked away before walking over to the window and looked out. Hari followed and stood beside her but her back was to the window and she leaned against the wall as she glanced over at Yoshida. 

“You were a good Captain, Yoshida-san,” Hari said. “It’s not your fault that the other chose to act like that.” 

“They did it because of me,” Yoshida admitted after a pause. “They thought it would be something I would want, something I would approve of. If they think I would do that…then I haven’t done a good enough job leading them.” 

Hari didn’t say anything for a moment as she thought about what Yoshida said. She had been a little unsure about what she thought about the other girl, but it seemed like she really did feel bad about what had happened. 

“Echizen-san,” Yoshida spoke up interrupting Hari’s thoughts. “I did not do enough to stop them from targeting you and I am sorry.” 

Hari swallowed and shifted on her feet suddenly feeling very self-conscious and awkward. 

“It’s not your fault,” Hari finally said. “I’m not mad at you, Yoshida-san.” 

Yoshida looked doubtful and Hari sighed. She wasn’t really sure why she was even still here talking with the other girl. She didn’t blame her, but she hadn’t particularly a reason to talk to her either. Hari just wanted to forget the experience with the girls’ team altogether. 

“You don’t control the others,” Hari added. She had learned that the hard way back at Hogwarts, she couldn’t control how they saw her and what they thought about her. 

“Still,” Yoshida said. 

“They didn’t like me,” Hari interrupted a little impatiently because she really didn’t want to talk about this, but the lost and regretful look on Yoshida’s face had her talking. Hermione always did say that Hari had a soft heart and the need to save others. Looks like she still did. “I have no idea why, but it had nothing to do with you. People just don’t like me.” 

There was something lost and so matter-of-fact over the voice that Yoshida had to take a double look at the other girl. She had a self-deprecating smile on her face and a darker look in her green eyes that had Yoshida frown. 

“People like you,” Yoshida said. 

Hari shrugged and took a few steps away from the other girl before pausing and looking over at her. She seemed to be giving her a look trying to see through her. 

“You like tennis, right?” Hari asked. 

"Yes," Yoshida said. 

“Then you should find a new way to play tennis or be involved in the game if you don’t want to play anymore,” Hari told her. “I refused to let anyone take away my joy for the game. That’s why I quit the girls’ team. I love tennis and I just want to play and have fun with it.” 

Yoshida looked a little thoughtful as she watched Hari walk away and disappearing around a corner. 

 

“Tadaima,” Hari called out when she entered the house and heard Nanako answer from the kitchen, but Hari headed for the stairs instead. She went to her room and sank down on her bed as she thought back to her meeting with Yoshida. 

Would Yoshida really quit? The thought nagged at her more than Hari thought it would. The look of loss and regret that had been in Yoshida’s eyes had hit Hari harder than she thought it would and Hari felt even more annoyed and upset with the girls’ on the team. 

What was with them? Fine, they didn’t like Hari. They saw her as a threat or something, but Yoshida was one of them. She was their Captain and they had pushed her to quit. They had done that and Hari felt really angry when she thought about it. What was worse was the fact that they said it was for Yoshida’s sake and that was not okay! 

How could it have been for Yoshida’s sake? What good would it do them or her if they targeted Hari? Hari had no idea why they would do that and think it was for the best. 

Hari thought it was time for some payback. A smirk crossed her face as she got an idea. She just had to find the perfect time. 

 

Two days later found Hari sitting perched up in a tree smirking as she watched the girls’ locker room and the arrival of the regulars for the team. They were, as usual, talking and laughing making Hari scowl as they didn’t seem at least bit sorry for the one who wasn’t there. 

They opened the door and was about to walk inside when they paused. 

“Eh!” 

“What happened in here?!” 

“Ghost?!” 

Hari laughed and had to hang on to the branch she was seated on to keep from falling off. Their confused and slightly scared looks were much more amusing than she thought. 

“Someone get Ryuzaki-sensei!” Hashimoto exclaimed. 

Ah, it was time to leave. Hari didn’t want to be seen close by the, um, scene of the crime in case someone would point a finger at her and blame her for it. She jumped down from the tree and made her way over to the courts where the boys’ practised. No one was there yet and Hari was pleased with that. 

Not long after the rest of the team came and joined her. 

 

Hari was walking with the rest of the team when they noticed the commotion to their left. It was almost time for the classes to start, but they paused to see what it was all about. 

“I have no idea how it happened,” Hashimoto said waving her hands. “The door was locked!” 

“It must have been a ghost,” Ueda said. 

“How would a ghost managed to do that?” Hashimoto snapped at her. 

Ryuzaki looked tired and was rubbing her face as she looked at the girls. The girls looked a little fretful and kept looking at each other as if searching for clues. 

“What’s going on?” Momoshiro asked having stepped closer to the commotion curiously. 

“Someone has stuck the furniture to the roof of the room,” Fukui said blushing slightly at the attention from the boys. Her eyes were slightly wide though. 

Hari worked to keep her face blank as she observed them from where she was standing beside Fuji who was smiling like normal. 

“Eh?” Momoshiro and Kikumaru both asked at once and rushed to the door and looked inside of the room. 

“It’s true!” Kikumaru exclaimed. “The furniture, even the lockers, are all placed on the roof as if it was the floor! Amazing!” 

Hari felt Ryoma looking at her but she didn’t look over at him because she wasn’t sure she would be able to keep her mask up if she did. Everyone walked over to the door and looked at the room and Hari could hear many wonders how it was possible and who could have done it. 

“Out of the way, out of the way,” an old man grunted and pushed past the watching students. He stopped when he saw the room and blinked. “Huh. I see.” 

 

Hari made her way to the classroom with Momoshiro and Kaido ignoring the looks she got from Ryoma and Fuji. She felt slightly concerned over the fact that Fuji was watching her. Ryoma would guess it was her, she knew that, but for Fuji to look at her like that… well, that couldn’t be good. She grimaced slightly. 

“I wonder who could have done it,” Momoshiro commented as they sat down at their desks. 

Hari shrugged. 

“It must have been very difficult,” he continued. “I mean…how could someone lift the furniture and make it stick to the roof like that?” 

Simple, Hari thought, just use a levitating charm and a sticking charm along with some glue and it stuck just fine to the roof. 

“There must at least have been two,” Momoshiro continued. “No one could have done that alone.” 

Yes, they could, Hari thought again with a secret smile. 

“Who knows,” Hari said. 

The rest of the class was also talking about it and Hari heard them speculate about who it could be and why someone would do that. It seemed that most found it amusing, though. 

Sora and Hira both came over to Hari and talked about it and she played her part very well if Hari had to say so herself. She acted as surprised and astonished as the others and wondered who it could be.

 

“So,” a voice from behind her had Hari jump and twirl around to see Fuji standing there waiting for her. He had been leaned against the wall outside of the school and pushed away from it when he saw her. She blinked at him. 

“Don’t do that!” Hari gasped and glared at the other boy. 

“I didn’t do anything,” Fuji smiled innocently at her. 

“Right,” Hari scoffed and turned to walk toward the gates. She could spot Ryoma standing by the gates waiting for her. 

“So,” Fuji said again coming up beside her. “That was a good prank.” 

Hari glanced over at him feeling not as surprised as she should be over the fact that he seemed to know it was her, but she kept her face blank. She arched a brow at him without saying anything. 

He smiled wider and looked thoroughly amused. 

“I must say,” He continued, “I can’t figure out how you managed to do it.” 

“You think it was me?” Hari asked. 

“Of course,” he simply said. 

Hari huffed, “you give me too much credit.” 

He laughed, “somehow I don’t think I give you _enough_ credit.” 

Hari looked away from him and shrugged. 

“Well, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Hari said. 

“Of course you don’t,” he smiled. “Jya matane!” 

“Bye, Fuji-sempai,” Hari waved at him just as she reached Ryoma. 

 

“How did you do it?” Ryoma asked. 

“Do what?” Hari blinked at him innocently. 

“You know what,” Ryoma gave her a look. “The prank.” 

Hari shrugged, “who says it’s me?” 

“Hari….” Ryoma narrowed his eyes at her. 

“Fine, I had a little help from my magic,” Hari shrugged. “It was easy.” 

“You’re crazy,” he said. “What if someone saw you?” 

“They didn’t,” Hari rolled her eyes. “I am better than that.” 

He snorted, “I thought you didn’t do it?” 

Hari frowned and realised that she had admitted to doing it. She scowled at him and huffed annoyed. 

“Cheater,” she accused. 

Ryoma smirked at her. 

“Why did you do it?” Ryoma asked curiously. 

“They deserved it;” Hari scoffed still annoyed that he had managed to get her to admit doing it. “They act like they’ve done nothing wrong and they pushed Yoshida to resign because they claimed they did what they did to me for her.” 

Ryoma nodded in understanding. 

“And pranking them is better than something else,” Hari continued. “The prank is even rather innocent as well.” 

“It was a good one,” Ryoma agreed. 

Hari smiled pleased and nodded. 

 

Yoshida sat on a bench in a park nearby her home, she could hear the sounds of children laughing and playing. Her eyes trained on two children playing tennis, looking like they had fun and really enjoyed the game. When was the last time she found tennis that fun? 

Hari’s words from a few days ago still echoed in her mind making Yoshida feel like she should do something, but she just didn’t know what. Did she really want to quit tennis? Yeah, she didn’t want to be the Captain anymore. It felt sullied now, but she still wanted to be involved in the game. 

Hari had been brave and made choices that made her happy and would protect her joy for the game. Yoshida knew that it must have been difficult for Hari to make the decision she did, or maybe it wasn’t. Perhaps it really was as simple as deciding to quit what makes you unhappy and find a new way to keep doing what makes you happy. Could it really be that simple? 

Yoshida frowned as she thought about it all. She was forced to think about everything she had done up until now and every choice she had made with her tennis. She had worked hard to get to where she was with her tennis, but…she couldn’t deny that there had been that underlying hope of gaining the attention of the boy’s regular team as well. Not as strong for her, but the other girl’s… well, the boys were the reason they played tennis at all. 

But why had she started with tennis? She couldn’t remember why she had first started to play the sport, and that was not good. She barely remembered how it was coming home almost completely exhausted and barely managing to eat dinner before falling asleep after a long day of practice. It felt like a foggy memory at best. 

Yoshida felt really confused and conflicted as she went over her choices and feelings. She grimaced slightly as she tried to make sense of it all. She needed to find her love and joy for the sport again, she decided. That decided she knew what to do and got up from the bench. 

 

Standing outside the gates of a house she had only walked passed before had Yoshida question her decision. Was this really a good idea? The name Echizen stood clearly written beside the doorbell and Yoshida swallowed nervously before she pushed the small buzzer. 

Waiting felt like an eternity even if it was only a few seconds in reality, but then the gate opened and a tall girl with dark blue hair and purple eyes smiled warmly at her. 

“Hello, may I help you?” 

“Um, I was looking for Echizen Hari?” Yoshida grimaced when it came out as a question. She saw the arched brow from the older girl but then she smiled slightly wider. 

“You’re Hari-chan’s friend?” the girl asked seemingly delighted. “I’m Meino Nanako, her cousin.” 

Yoshida felt awkward, she couldn’t really say she was Hari’s friend. Not that she didn’t want to be, but she doubted that Hari saw her as a friend. 

“Hajimemashite,” Yoshida tried to smile. “I’m Yoshida Satomi.” 

“Hari-chan is up at the temple,” Nanako said. “If you just go a little bit that way you will find the temple and you’ll find her.” 

Yoshida looked a little uncertain, if she was out then maybe she didn’t want anyone to interrupt her. 

“She won’t mind,” Nanako seemed to understand her hesitation. 

“Alright,” Yoshida smiled and walked in the direction Nanako had pointed to. She knew the temple, she didn’t know that Hari spent any time there, though. 

 

Yoshida stepped into the temple grounds and immediately heard the telling sounds from a tennis ball hitting the ground and looked to the side spotting Hari in the middle of a match. She couldn’t see how Hari was playing against from the angle she was in right now, but Hari looked really focused and sweat was running freely down her face. 

“One more time!” Hari demanded. “Tanomu!” 

A man’s laughter was all that Yoshida heard before she got closer and saw an older man with slightly messy brown hair dressed in a monk outfit. He looked completely relaxed with the tennis racket in his left hand. 

Yoshida couldn’t help but stare at the game going on in front of her. She knew Hari was good, but this man… he was unbelievably good. She had never seen anyone play like that before, he didn’t even move from his spot. 

Hari missed another ball despite the dive making her fall to the ground in a sky of dust. She grumbled as she pushed herself up and dusted the dirt off her clothes. 

“Finished yet, Hari-chan?” the man teased. 

“No!” Hari got ready again and Yoshida was not sure why. It was clear that she was losing, that she really didn’t have any chance against the man. She looked over at the man again and saw the (could she call it) proud smile on his face as he got ready to serve the ball once more. 

Hari managed to hit it back and even if the man returned with ease Yoshida could see Hari remain focused and managed to return the ball once more with a little more force. Back and forth it went a few times before Hari missed another ball despite her speed and agility. 

“Bugger,” Hari muttered and wiped her forehead with the towel she picked up from the side of the court. Yoshida could see when Hari spotted her because she froze and her mouth popped open in surprise. 

“Hari-chan?” the man asked before he too spotted Yoshida. “Ah, a beautiful young girl is here!” 

Yoshida blushed at the compliment (?) from the man and saw that Hari seemed to snap out of her surprise.

“Shut up, Nanjiro,” Hari scowled at him. “You’re creepy.” 

“Hari-chan!” the man exclaimed. “You wound me!” 

Hari snorted and rolled her eyes before looking back at Yoshida with a curious look on her face. 

“What are you doing here, Yoshida-san?” Hari asked. 

“Um, I hoped we could talk,” Yoshida swallowed nervously. 

Hari stared at her for a moment and Yoshida wished the younger girl would blink. Nanjiro was looking between them before he smiled and ruffled Hari’s hair making the girl scowl up at him and swat his hand away. 

“Talk with your friend, Hari-chan,” Nanjiro laughed. “We’ll continue our match another time.” 

“Alright,” Hari nodded. 

 

Yoshida sat down on the bench Hari walked to and wished she knew what to say. She had hoped that the words would come as she came here. 

“Who was that?” Yoshida asked lamely. 

Hari glance over at her before going back to bouncing the ball with her racket. 

“Echizen Nanjiro,” Hari said, “my adoptive father.” 

Yoshida blinked. The name was familiar like she had heard it before but couldn’t place it. 

“What do you want, Yoshida-san?” Hari finally asked. 

“I wanted to talk to you,” Yoshida admitted. 

“Well, talk away,” Hari said as she caught the ball with her hand and put it away and turned toward Yoshida. 

“I don’t know how to say it, but…” Yoshida frowned. “I thought about what you said and I think you’re right. I just… I can’t remember what I liked about tennis.” 

Hari tilted her head as she looked at her making Yoshida think about a dog, but she pushed the thought away. 

“I see,” Hari said. “I don’t know if I can help you with that, Yoshida-san. I don’t know why you started to play tennis.” 

“Why did you start?” Yoshida asked. 

Hari didn’t say anything at first and Yoshida feared she had asked the wrong thing. 

“Well, I met Ryo-chan back in England when I was 8 years old,” Hari finally answered. “He was playing tennis and asked me to join him. I never had any friends so I joined him because he was the first one to ask me to join in a sport or any game really. I found I like it the more I played and tennis gave me my first friend, Ryo-chan.” 

“Why do you like tennis?” Yoshida asked. 

“I like tennis because I meet new friends and it’s fun,” Hari shrugged. “It’s something that connects me to Ryo-chan and makes sure I’ll be a part of his world.” 

Yoshida was sure it was a simplified version of the reason why Hari like tennis, but she didn’t ask anything more. She didn’t have the right to demand more reasons from the younger girl and it was enough to know this. 

“I want to find my reason for liking tennis again,” Yoshida said. “I don’t know if I’m ready to play for a team yet, but I want to be involved in the game.” 

Hari blinked at the fierce declaration and Yoshida blushed embarrassed before Hari smiled a more genuine smile than any Yoshida had seen before. 

“Then join as a manager or something,” Hari said. “I’m sure Ryuzaki-sensei will allow that.” 

“I don’t want to be on the girls’ team,” Yoshida admitted looking away. 

“I don’t blame you,” Hari scoffed, “I don’t either. That wasn’t what I was thinking, though.” 

“It wasn’t?” Yoshida asked. 

“No,” Hari shook her head before giving a small smile, “I was thinking you should join the boys’ team as a manager. Inui-sempai would like the help, I’m sure.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? :) 
> 
> If anyone has any ideas for pranks feel free to let me know! I struggle with coming up with good pranks and ideas, so any help would be appreciated! XD 
> 
> Thanks for reading and supporting the story! :) 
> 
> Japanese words used:  
> Oyaji - Old man/ dad  
> Hai - Yes  
> Arigatou - Thank you  
> Gomen - Sorry  
> Jya matane - See you later!  
> Hajimemashite - Nice to meet you  
> sempai - Senior  
> Tanomu - Please


	13. A fun day with An and meeting someone new

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Hari scowled.

She took in the purple-black haired boy with the tear-mole under his right eye, eyes that were a very deep blue almost onyx in colour as he smirked cockily at her and leaned against the counter with such arrogant confident that she felt like she was faced with another Draco Malfoy. 

Hari folded her arms over her chest and arched a brow unimpressed as he turned up his charm and smile turned overly sweet. 

“Join me for lunch.” he more or less ordered making Hari feel her eyebrow twitch. 

He was already turning as if to order for her, and she rolled her eyes. 

“No,” she said and saw how he startled slightly. 

“I don’t think you understand who I am,” he said. 

Hari gave him the best-unimpressed look she could and honestly she was proud of it. She saw him frown at her like he was trying to figure her out. 

“I don’t know who you are and I don’t really care,” Hari said, “now, I have to get back to my friend.” 

She pushed past him and he looked to be too stunned to talk so he allowed her to do so. She ordered her burger and fries before standing to the side to wait for the order to be ready. 

She looked and saw An seated at their table reading something on her phone while she waited, she already had her tray of food in front of her. They had made the appointment of meeting here at the burger place after school before they would go and play some tennis. 

“You’re an odd one,” the boy said again having come up to her. 

“And you’re an annoying one,” Hari huffed. “Go away.” 

“I’m not sure I want to do that,” he smirked leaning on the counter as he stared at her. “I like you.” 

Hari shuddered with such exaggeration that he knew she was exaggerating, but got the point across anyway. 

“Well, I don’t like you,” Hari said. 

He smirked like she had said the opposite and she was never happier when the girl came with her order. She took it and left before he could say anything else. 

 

“Hey,” Hari smiled at An who smiled back up at her. 

“Hey, you okay?” An asked. 

“Yeah,” Hari nodded and sat down and started to eat. “I’m hungry, though.” 

“I can see that,” An said amusedly. 

Hari just shrugged and fell into easy conversation with An who had contacted her a couple of days ago asking if she wanted to meet up and play some tennis together. Hari had happily agreed and felt a little excited to be with a friend outside of Ryoma’s circle of friends or the team. 

“They’re all very overprotective,” An rolled her eyes as she finished a story of Fudomine team regulars and their tendency to just stroll in and rescue her without letting her deal with it herself. 

Hari smiled amusedly. “I see.” 

“What about you?” An asked finishing off her burger. “Do your brother and his team do that with you?” 

“No,” Hari shook her head. 

They hadn’t. Not really, Hari thought. Ryoma probably would be likely to rush in if he thought she needed it, and he did when she…didn’t end up where she was supposed to be, not lost, just not at the right place. 

An gave her a look that Hari couldn’t quite read, it seemed like a cross between ‘just-wait-they-will’ and ‘I-don’t-believe-you’ kind of looks. Hari just shrugged. It was true. 

Hari noticed that the boy from before was still there eating with some friends from the look of it, he winked at her when she passed them and she pretended she didn’t see it. 

 

“I can’t wait to play some tennis,” An grinned as they made their way to the street courts and Hari nodded in agreement. 

“Me too,” she said. 

They hadn’t had a practice today so Hari felt the itch to play, it didn’t help that she hadn’t really actually played much lately at all. She had been put through some rather brutal exercises by Tezuka who had taken it upon himself to train her, but nothing of what he had told her to do involve actually playing a match. So, she was itching to be able to play. 

“Since the courts normally only allow double play are you okay with playing with me?” An asked suddenly nervous making Hari look at her. 

She blinked surprised because the small vulnerability was unexpected and not something Hari had connected to the lively and bubbly girl next to her. 

“Of course,” Hari said. “I look forward to it.” 

An smiled and seemed to relax again. Hari wondered what that was about, but she wouldn’t press the other girl about it. 

They quickly noticed that the court was fairly full and the prospects of a match looked promising. 

“An-chan!” 

Both Hari and An turned to see the two boys Ryoma and Momoshiro had played before coming toward them. What were their names, again…? Oh, right Izumi and Fukawa. 

“Hey,” An smiled. “Do anyone have a free slot so we could play?” 

“Oh? You’re here to play today?” Fukawa asked. 

An nodded. 

“We’ll play you,” Izumi grinned. “Um…Who are you?” 

He turned toward Hari and frowned slightly. 

“Wait, you were with the Seigaku-pair the first time they were here,” Fukawa realised. 

“Hai,” Hari nodded. “I’m Echizen Hari. Nice to meet you.” 

They blinked in sync like one of their plays as they stared at her. 

“Echizen?” they asked also in sync. 

Hari’s lips twitched. 

“Hai,” she said again but didn’t elaborate. 

They seemed to shrug off the surprise as they turned toward the court where they must have just left to go and greet An. It was clear to Hari that An was a frequent visitor to this place and many of the other teens there greeted her with easy smiles and warm eyes. 

 

“Let’s do this,” Hari grinned excitedly at An as they stepped onto the court and Hari felt the familiar weight of her purple racket in her hands making her feel even more excited. 

“We’ll win!” Izumi called over to them. 

“We’ll see about that,” Hari smirked back. 

Hari had never played an actual double game before, but unlike Ryoma, she had studied it a lot and watched others play so she knew enough to be able to hold her own. She was the kind who learned quickly and had the luck of picking up new plays rather quickly. 

She and An worked surprisingly well together and with Hari’s talent of being able to read the others rather well managed to match her pace with An’s. If that made sense. 

They won. 

It was fun and exhilarating. Hari couldn’t stop smiling as she realised that they had won their first match. It had been close, but the win was still theirs. The rush she had felt was even more than what she usually felt playing on her own. 

“Yes!” An laughed and raised her hand for a high-five that Hari grinningly met and both girls turned toward the boys who looked slightly shocked as they stared at them. 

“We’re next!” Two boys from the sidelines called out and changed places with Izumi and Fukawa like the rules of the court dictated. 

A grin and a high-five signalled Hari and An’s acceptance as they got into positions again. 

 

Hari rushed to the side and with a sudden burst of speed and flexibility, she rolled on the ground before she got to her feet and by some feat of faith reached the ball and hit it back over the net. It landed just over the net before it rolled toward the net again. 

Not that the boys had tried to reach it as they had stared wide eyed and opened mouthed at her clearly shocked by the fact that she reached the ball. 

“Are you okay?” An asked. 

“Fine,” Hari grinned at her before looking back at the boys. “Ready to continue?” 

“Oh, um, yeah;” one of them said. Hari hadn’t caught their names and honestly, she wasn’t that interested in learning them. Not right now anyway. It was the tennis that mattered. 

They continued and Hari stayed in the back and caught the balls An let passed her, but right now Hari was happy to have An take charge and have her moment as well. It was clear to Hari that An was very good. 

“Look at this,” a male voice interrupted Hari and An from their celebrating high-five after another win. “You can play tennis as well.” 

Hari spun around to see the boy from the burger place standing with his friend, a giant of a boy. Or not actually a giant, he wasn’t as big as Hagrid, but he was large and built like a brick. He had a stoic face and short black hair and brown eyes that was kind and told Hari that he wasn’t as scary as his build could suggest. Especially when he towered over her like he would if they stood beside each other. Anyway, he must be about the same age as them even if he looked older. 

The purple-dark haired boy smirked at her and stepped out onto the court. 

“Now I really want you to come with me,” he said. 

Hari didn’t say anything as she stared at him with narrowed eyes. She was aware that An was looking between her and the boy nervously, but Hari didn’t look away from him knowing that he would take it as a victory if she did. 

He strode over to them with confidence and something in his walk that once more reminded her of a certain blond Slytherin. 

“I know you want to,” he continued. 

“I don’t even know who you are,” Hari scoffed. “Other than you’re really full of yourself.” 

The boy laughed. 

“Feisty,” he said. “I like that. I’m the Great Atobe Keigo.”

Hari arched a brow at the smile that she supposed would mean something else, but she had no idea what and she didn’t really care what he was trying to do. She just found him annoying. 

“Go away,” Hari sighed. “We’re trying to play.” 

He frowned slightly like he hadn’t gotten the response he hoped for. The frown went away quickly enough and he got a pensive look instead. 

“You’re an odd one,” he smirked. “Fine. I’ll win against everyone here and then you’ll go on a date with me. Kabaji!” 

He turned and got the racket from his friend, Kabaji, who already held it out for him. He didn’t even let Hari say anything as she just stood there blinking after him. 

What an arrogant guy, Hari thought but had he said date?! 

Like a date-date?!

She was not on board on that. No way. While he was…kind of cute, she just…no. There was no way and he was too much of a brat for her to like. She shook her head as she tried to get the thought out of her mind. 

“What are you going to do?” An asked worriedly. 

Hari shrugged, “nothing at the moment.” 

“Why? What if he wins?” An asked. 

“I never agreed to go out with him,” Hari told her as she watched Atobe and Kabaji line up and two other boys line up on the other side. “If he wants to play then fine.” 

“You’re not worried,” An said. 

Hari shook her head as she arched a brow as she realised that they were good. Atobe didn’t really play much letting Kabaji do the ‘heavy’ lifting but Hari could tell that he was good. Much better than anyone here and she doubted she would stand a chance against him right now. 

“He’ll win,” Hari sighed. 

“How do you know?” An asked. 

“He’s good and his friend is as well,” Hari explained. “Besides… most people here are not on a team for their school.” 

“You think they are on their school team?” An asked looking at Atobe and Kabaji, who just won their second game. 

“Hai,” Hari nodded. “I think so.” 

They were both wearing the same jacket and colours and it reminded Hari very much of sports jackets from a school (she didn’t know which school, though) and there was no chance that two players with that kind of talent weren’t on a team. 

Hari watched the rest of the matches in silence as Atobe finally just decided to let Kabaji do all the work and sat down on the court. Hari frowned at that, but she looked back at Kabaji who didn’t look bothered at all by the way Atobe acted. 

She grimaced as she thought that this was just like watching Crabbe and Goyle around Malfoy, well at least Kabaji looked kinder than them. She felt almost guilty for comparing them in her mind, but the way he indulged Atobe reminded her of the other two. She just couldn’t help it. 

 

“I won,” Atobe said getting back to his feet when Izumi and Fukawa also lost and being the final pairing it signalled the end of the so-called bet. 

“So you did,” Hari deadpanned. “So?” 

“That means you owe me a date,” Atobe smirked at her. 

“I never agreed to that,” Hari shrugged. 

Atobe frowned once more. 

“The Great Atobe is taking you on a date and you act like you don’t want to,” he tilted his head as he watched her. 

“I don’t act like I don’t want to,” Hari stared at him, “I just don’t want to.” 

He didn’t smile for a moment and looked honestly confused before the arrogant look was back and he reached toward her. 

“Leave her alone!” An suddenly yelled and got between Hari and Atobe making Atobe arch a brow and grabbed her arm to stop her from shoving him. “She said no!” 

Hari blinked surprised. 

“Hmmm,” Atobe hummed as he looked closer at An. “You’re cute as well, but I’m more interested in your friend.” 

He pushed her away and turned toward Hari again and was about to say something when suddenly someone else interfered. 

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing?” Momoshiro demanded and rushed toward them and quickly got Hari behind him as he glared at Atobe. 

Hari sighed at (again) being pushed back. 

“Hm? There’s two more?” Atobe asked. “But I’m tired of playing…” 

“What’s going on?” Momoshiro demanded. 

“An-chan are you okay?” Kamio, who Hari just noticed, asked An worriedly. “Did he hurt you?” 

Momoshiro kept glaring and Hari tried to get by him, but he grabbed her arm and held her back as if she was in danger or something. She frowned at him. 

“What are you doing to Hari-chan?” Momoshiro demanded again. 

“Ah, Hari-chan, that’s your name?” Atobe grinned. 

Hari glared at Momoshiro who scowled seemingly realising that he had just given her name to the other boy. 

“He asked her out and she said no,” An explained, “but he won’t take no for an answer.” 

Atobe just smirked, “I’m the Great Atobe Keigo! Who wouldn’t want to go out with me?” 

Hari rolled her eyes while Momoshiro just glared harder. 

“You’re not going to bother her!” Momoshiro snapped. 

Hari was surprised by the anger in Momoshiro and the protective way he kept standing between them, but she really didn’t need him to. She was handling it well enough on her own and she didn’t really think that Atobe was dangerous. 

He was arrogant and not used to hear the word ‘no’, sure, but he wouldn’t do anything to her. She could tell because her magic felt calm and she just knew from watching him that he wasn’t going to hurt her. 

“Calm down, Momo-chan,” Hari sighed and got her arm free and placed a hand on his arm instead to calm him. “I’m fine.” 

Momoshiro didn’t look convinced, but he seemed to calm down somewhat. 

“Let’s play,” Momoshiro demanded. “Kamio!” 

“Hai?” 

“Play with me,” Momoshiro said without looking away from Atobe. 

Atobe sighed and looked at Hari before he turned back to the court. 

“Kabaji,” he said. 

“Hai,” he said. 

Hari frowned as she was left to watch the four take their place once more and Atobe sat down on the court like he had done before much to the annoyance of Momoshiro and Kamio. 

Seriously, they didn’t need to take it this far. She felt annoyed. 

“Not overprotective, huh?” An asked beside her. 

Hari looked at her slightly surprised before looking back at Momoshiro. She felt like groaning. Of course, that was what he was being, overprotective. She really hoped that the rest of the team wouldn’t be like this as well. 

“I guess I was wrong,” Hari frowned. 

An smiled slightly at the frown on Hari’s face. 

 

Hari rolled her eyes when Atobe called Kabaji off and letting Momoshiro and Kamio get the point they needed to win. It was clear that Atobe had been impressed by something he had seen in Momoshiro, probably his last shot and the fact that he managed to return a ball that Hari knew as a difficult ball to return. 

“We’ll take the loss today,” Atobe said as he got back up to his feet. 

Kabaji just stood there with a blank look on his face not really caring either way or so it would seem. Hari wondered if he really did want to lose a match like that, but she guessed it didn’t really matter. 

“Hey,” Atobe stared at Momoshiro. “What’s your name?” 

“Seigaku’s second year, Momoshiro Takeshi,” Momoshiro said and Hari felt like groaning and calling him an idiot because she caught the look of triumph on Atobe’s face as he let his eyes flicker over at her. 

She did her best to keep her face blank making Atobe smirk at her. 

“I’ll see you around,” Atobe said as he turned and left. 

It sounded like a promise and Hari sighed. She guessed she had a new Malfoy here; at least it wasn’t the original one who would show up and antagonise her. Atobe seemed…a little better and if nothing else, he wasn’t a prejudiced bastard. 

 

Hari said goodbye to Momoshiro and Kamio and walked away with An who asked her to come home with her and have dinner at her house. Hari had nervously accepted. It was the first time she had gone home with someone like this. She didn’t count meeting Nanjiro and Rinko back when she had met Ryoma for the first time, or the time she had spent at the Burrow the summer before her second year at Hogwarts. It just didn’t feel the same as this. 

They talked all the way back to An’s house and she saw that it was a nice two storey house that was painted yellow and had a small garden around the house. She noticed the bikes standing by a garage and a car parked in the driveway. 

“Tadaima,” An called out when they entered the house.

“Okaeri,” a woman’s voice answered and soon a woman with the same brown hair only a little longer than An’s came into the hallway. “Ah, you brought your friend with you.” 

“Hai,” An smiled. “Echizen Hari this is my mother Tachibana Rei.” 

“Hajimemashite,” Hari smiled shyly. 

“Nice to meet you too,” Tachibana Rei smiled back. “An has told me about you, I’m so happy An has someone else to play tennis with.” 

Hari nodded and just smiled not knowing what to say or how to act. She always felt a little lost on how to act around parents to other kids. She wasn’t sure what was expected of her. 

Hari followed An up to her room and looked around curiously. It was what Hari would guess a normal teenage girl’s room would look like. There were some posters up on the walls, bands or athletes that Hari had no idea who was, and a bookshelf filled with books. A desk was by the window and of course, there was the bed and the dresser. 

“Nice room,” Hari complimented. 

“Arigatou,” An said as she fell down on the bed. 

Hari sat down in the desk chair and tried not to spin on it like she would have done if she had been in Ryoma’s room. 

An quickly started a conversation about their matches earlier and before Atobe came and interrupted them, and they had fun discussing them and analysing them so that they could become better to the next time they would go out and play. 

Soon Tachibana Rei called that dinner was ready and they made their way down to the kitchen. Hari soon saw that An’s father and her brother was there already. 

“Echizen-san,” Tachibana Kippei greeted her politely with a small smile. “Nice to see you again.” 

“You too, Tachibana-san,” Hari smiled back. 

“Oh, you’ve met?” Tachibana Goro asked. 

“Hai,” Tachibana nodded. 

“I watched them play Seigaku,” Hari explained when she saw the older man look at her curiously. “My little brother played for them and I was there watching them play.” 

The others nodded in understanding and they all sat down around the table. 

 

“You play tennis as well, Hari-chan?” Tachibana Rei asked. 

“Hai,” Hari nodded. “I just joined Seigaku’s team with my brother, actually.” 

The two Tachibana siblings blinked and looked at her. 

“The boy’s team?” An asked surprised. 

“Mm,” Hari nodded as she took another bite of her food. It was delicious something she made sure to tell the cook who smiled back at her and told her to take another serving. 

“You didn’t say that,” An accused her. 

“I thought I had,” Hari furrowed her brows. “Gomen.” 

“It’s fine,” An sighed. 

“You must be good, then;” Tachibana Goro observed. 

Hari shrugged, “I’m alright, I guess.” 

“She’s good,” An said rolling her eyes at the humble response from Hari. 

“I still have a lot to learn,” Hari said. 

“Everyone has more to learn,” Tachibana Kippei said and he was giving her a searching look. “I must say I’m curious to watch you play, Echizen-san.” 

Hari just shrugged and looked away shyly. She wasn’t sure what to do with all of the attention on her and she felt like shifting in her seat. She was relieved when An changed the subject and got the attention away from her. Hari suspected that An had guessed that Hari didn’t like it and done it on purpose. 

 

Hari walked through the school when she saw the three first years that normally cheered Ryoma on huddled together whispering and looking around almost like they were suspicious of something. Hari changed her direction and walked up to them. They didn’t notice her. 

“What do you think he was doing?” Kachiro asked.

“I don’t know…” Mizuno frowned. 

“Even the great Horio don’t know,” Horio sighed. 

“You look like you’re planning something fun. What is it?” Hari asked with a half-smile. 

The three jumped and spun around to stare at her with wide, guilty eyes. She arched a brow wondering what could cause them to look like that. 

“Um…” Kachiro looked flustered and his cheeks turned red as he tried to come up with something to say. 

“Nothing,” Horio said. 

“Nothing?” Hari arched a brow as she looked at them. She smiled slightly. “Alright.” 

She saw the looks of relief crossing their faces just as she turned around to walk to her classroom. She paused and half-turned toward them. 

“You know…” Hari said and they tensed again. She wondered if she should tease them more, they looked so flustered and she really wanted to know what they had been doing to make them look like that. “…you make me want to figure you out when you act like that.” 

With that she turned and walked away laughing quietly to herself as she had seen the worried looks that the three boys had exchanged. 

 

“Here!” 

Hari blinked and looked up when a large pile of books were placed on her desk making her have to stop writing her notes to make room for the books. 

She blinked again. 

“Korewa nandesuka?” Hari asked confused. 

“This is the start of your education,” Hira stated with a triumphant smile. 

“I thought I was in school already,” Hari said dryly as she stared at the stack of books and she now noticed some of the titles like _The Hobbit_ , and _the Lord of the Rings_. 

“Funny,” Hira said. “You said you hadn’t watched the movies so…” 

“So you give me books?” Hari interrupted with an arched brow. 

“No, well, yes,” Hira frowned, “Sora insisted on the books. The movies are here and you’ll watch them after you’ve read the books.” 

Hari sighed, “what if I don’t want to read the books?” 

Hira looked scandalised. 

“Or watch the movies?” Hari added as an afterthought. 

“What?” Hira asked so shocked and horror-struck that Hari had to laugh. “How can you not want to read the books or watch the movies?” 

Hari shrugged, “I’m kind of busy with tennis and school work.” 

“Still…” Hira frowned. 

Hari sighed and looked at the books. She guessed she was slightly interested in learning more about them and it might help her get some of the references people talked about sometimes. 

“Fine,” she sighed. “I’ll try, but no promises.” 

Hira looked pleased and gave her a smile before he went back to his own desk. 

 

Hari exited her changing room and walked over to the court where the team was gathered already, she joined Ryoma doing the warm-ups an tried to ignore the way Momoshiro was looking at her and was Kikumaru also looking at her with something like protectiveness in his eyes? 

“You didn’t tell me you were bothered by some boy yesterday,” Ryoma commented seemingly calm. 

“Eh?” Hari blinked and looked at her little brother before looking back at Momoshiro. “He told you.” 

“Why didn’t you?” Ryoma asked giving up pretences now and stared at her. 

“I had it handled,” Hari said. 

“Still, you should have told me,” Ryoma said. 

“Ryo-chan,” Hari sighed, “I’m fine. Atobe didn’t really bother me that much. I had it handled and it’s not something to make such a fuss over.” 

Ryoma looked at her with a frown, but he nodded clearly knowing her well enough to know better than to push her. She smiled back at him knowing he had calmed somewhat. She just hoped that Atobe would stay away for a little while, because she couldn’t tell what Ryoma or the rest of the team (who clearly knew about it now) would do if he showed up here like she suspected he would at some point. 

 

Atobe was standing on the balcony overlooking the large garden that surrounded his mansion. His mind was going over his meeting with the interesting girl, Hari-chan, he had met the day before and he was stunned with what he had just learned about her. 

He had, of course, ordered a background check on her as soon as he walked away from the court the day before. He was curious and something pulled at him to learn more about this girl who wasn’t fazed by his wealth or his charm. That was unheard off and Atobe was intrigued. 

Intrigued enough to want to learn more about her and learn about her he did. 

Given the name Momoshiro had given him, Hari-chan, Atobe had found out that there was an Echizen Hari enrolled at Seigaku and having watched a photo of her (taken for the school id) he knew it was the right girl. What was more curious was the fact that she had a Japanese last name when it was clear to him that she wasn’t Japanese. 

That had him make some more research, all on the discrete side of course, and his men had found enough to make him curious and surprised, but at the same time, there were aspects that were …unclear and hidden. It bugged him. 

Well, anyway, one thing and perhaps the most shocking truth they had found out was her real identity. The name she had before. The name he had heard his parents mention with hushed and kind of sad voice that had been lost to him at the time since he had just been a kid. 

Harriett Lily Potter.

The name of the girl that his parents mourned almost like they had lost one of their own. He remembered back when he was a young boy and they had been at their house in London and he had walked in on his mother crying. He remembered asking what was wrong and she’d said that she had just learned that a friend of hers had died a couple of years back and they couldn’t find her daughter. 

The daughter's name was Harriett Lily Potter and Atobe had wanted to meet her because his mother had talked so fondly about her and had shown him a few baby pictures. Of course, Atobe had only been around four years old then and didn’t understand that much about it all. 

Later he had heard the name mentioned from time to time, apparently, his mum was still looking for her friends missing daughter. Atobe couldn’t understand how they couldn’t find her, but maybe the reason was that she was in Japan? 

But… from what he had learned she had only just arrived and had been adopted by the Echizen’s. It didn’t make sense. 

Giving an uncharacteristically sigh he turned and walked back into the office and looked at the file he had received. A file that missed more than it should and he had to know more. He had to learn more about this girl and find out if she really was the same girl that his parents had been looking for. 

If she was…then his interest just went up but he knew he would not be interested in her romantically because this girl was supposed to have grown up beside him as his little sister. If she indeed was the same girl then he would protect her and bring her to meet his parents who would also do everything they could to protect her in the name of the friends they had lost so many years ago. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? :) 
> 
> So Atobe is in the mix and has a connection to Hari! XD 
> 
> Thank you for reading and hope you liked it :) 
> 
> Japanese words used:  
> Hai - Yes  
> Tadaima - I'm home  
> Okaeri - Welcome back  
> Hajimemashite - Nice to meet you  
> Arigatou - Thank you  
> Gomen - Sorry  
> Korewa nandesuka? - What's this?


	14. A lesson, a bet and a request

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing! 
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> **"Parsletongue"**
> 
>  
> 
> ****

Hari smiled as she stepped off the train and the first person she saw was Saeki who smiled and waved at her. Though, she tried to frown at him and crossed her arms over her chest as she gave him her best glare. 

“You didn’t trust me to find your house on my own?” she demanded. 

He laughed freely and nudged her shoulder with his own as he fell into step beside her. 

“Well, do you blame me?” he asked. 

Hari tried to keep up her glare, but she failed and laughed as she shook her head. She knew that it wouldn’t do any good telling him she would have found his house since he had been there before, not with the way they had met. 

“So, Hari-chan, tell me,” Saeki glanced at her, “how are you with the decision to quit the girl’s team?” 

“I’m fine,” Hari assured him with a small smile. “It was the right choice for me.” 

“You wouldn’t tell me what you do now, though,” Saeki probed at her curiously. “Do you play on street courts now or?” 

“Well, I do that too,” Hari said purposely dragging it out before telling him. “But I joined the boy’s team as well.” 

Saeki blinked surprised at her. 

“Honto?” he asked. 

“Why? You don’t think I’m good enough?” Hari smirked at him and he laughed. 

“Hm,” he pretended to think making Hari shoved him lightly and he laughed again. “I think you are more than good enough.” 

Hari laughed as well and they talked more about her team and his as they made their way to the tennis court they had used last time she had been there. 

 

“Daijobu,” Saeki said when they had warmed up a little and she couldn’t help but notice his smile as he looked at her. She pushed the observation away as she focused on the fact that he was going to teach her more about the motion vision like he had promised her. “I want you to start by tossing two balls against the wall over there. I want you to toss them one by one and then catch them at the same order knowing which ball is which.” 

Hari looked at the wall before looking back at Saeki who just smiled at her. She tilted her head slightly before looking back at the wall and shrugged. 

“Ok,” she agreed. 

He tossed her the two balls and she noticed the large numbers one and two written on them. 

“Call out which one you’re catching,” he told her and she nodded. 

She tossed the balls, first number one and then number two right after. 

“One.” 

“Two.” 

“One.” 

“Two.” 

And on it went. Before Saeki tossed another ball against the wall so that it bounced back to her. 

“Three!” 

“Two.” 

“One.” 

Hari followed it easily for several bounces, catching every ball even as Saeki tossed in number four and five, but she could feel that her focus was starting to slip as the time between the balls became less and less and she inevitably started to toss the balls faster and harder. 

She almost cursed when one ball slipped past her but she continued until she lost another ball and Saeki called her off. 

“That was very good, Hari-chan,” he smiled impressed. “I didn’t expect you to manage this far on your first try.”

Hari felt a stab of satisfaction at his words and fought a blush as he smiled at her again. She again pushed it away as she tried to focus on what she was supposed to focus on. 

“I guess you have a reason for this?” She asked. 

“I wondered when you’d ask,” he told her, “well, it will help you develop your skill of picking up on the details of what you observe.” 

Hari nodded in understanding, “I see.” 

“Ready for one more try?” he asked and she nodded. 

 

“Enough!” he called and she stopped just as she tossed another ball at the wall and ducked as the next one came back at her. He laughed. She glared. 

“I want to try something else now,” he said before glancing at the clock. “Before we go and get something to eat because I’m getting hungry.” 

“Me too,” Hari said. “But what is it you want me to do next?” 

She felt curious as she hadn’t really known what to expect coming back to Chiba to meet Saeki and learn more about motion vision. 

“You’re going to be staring straight ahead and I’ll toss balls at your sides,” Saeki explained, “you’re not going to follow the balls with your eyes but catch them using your peripheral awareness. I will toss the balls close enough for you to catch them.” 

Hari blinked but nodded as she watched as he took his place and she readied herself. She felt tense, but not too much as she stared at Saeki. He tossed a ball and she had to work not to follow it with her eyes as she caught the motion with her side view and just missed it. 

“Okay, try the next one,” Saeki said. 

She nodded and forced her eyes to remain to look forward as Saeki tossed the balls at her side, he alternated between her right and left sides making it hard for her to predict where he would toss the balls. 

She gritted her teeth as she felt her eyes sting slightly at the effort it took to just use her peripheral vision but she did catch most of the balls but then he started to toss the balls faster and she felt the strain getting harder. 

“Enough,” Saeki called.

Hari blinked rapidly trying to get her eyes to relax. It stung. She leaned forward slightly as she rubbed her eyes wincing slightly as she did. 

“Here,” Saeki held out a bottle filled with water and Hari grabbed it and poured it over her head and felt a little refreshed and her eyes blinked in the water. 

“Thanks.” Hari smiled up at him. 

“Well, I think you’ve earned some food,” he said. 

“Yatta!” Hari cheered making Saeki laugh. 

 

They found a local burger place and Hari grinned when she got her food. She put the fries to the side because that was the best part and she wanted to save it to later, but let out a small groan of pleasure as she took a bit of the burger. 

She willfully ignored the amused look from Saeki. 

She did feel some butterflies in her stomach as she looked up and saw Saeki smile at her from the other side of the table, but she was not sure why because it wasn’t like she hadn’t eaten with him before. 

She mentally shrugged it off as she listened to him tell her a story about his team and she laughed amused.

“I think I would find your Captain amusing,” Hari told him when he stopped talking. 

He nodded and watched as she took the final bite of the burger and then reached for the fries. 

“You really enjoy the food,” he commented. 

She glanced up at him before looking back at the fries. She wasn’t sure if he noticed that she stilled or her hand shaking before she managed to get it under control. 

“Mm, I guess I do,” she hummed as she put a fry in her mouth and chewed on it. She wasn’t about to tell him that she enjoyed the food because she had grown up not knowing if she would be able to eat or if Uncle Vernon would take it from her. 

Saeki frowned slightly as he regretted his comment. He hadn’t meant anything by it, only finding it rather cute. Though it was clear that she was now thinking about something painful and it had something to do with his comment, but he had no idea what. 

“Ah!” A loud voice suddenly sounded, “it’s Saeki-san!” 

Saeki felt a stab of relief at the interruption because he was not sure how to get Hari out of the mood he had unknowingly set. 

“Aoi,” Saeki greeted him. He also saw Shudo Satoshi, Kisarazu Ryo, Itsuki Marehiko, Amane Hikaru and finally Kurobane Harukaze all from his team standing behind Aoi. “Guys.” 

“ARE YOU ON A DATE?!” Aoi yelled. 

Hari blinked at him while Saeki pulled a hand over his face and looked slightly embarrassed if Hari could read him correctly. 

“Osu! I’m Aoi Kentaro!” Aoi loudly introduced himself skipping up right next to Hari who looked from him to Saeki looking for an explanation. 

“He’s the captain of my team,” Saeki sighed. 

“Oh,” Hari said, “Right, you told me about him.” 

“You did?” Aoi beamed looking between the two. “So? Are you on a date?” 

“No,” Saeki said. 

Hari wasn’t sure why she felt slightly disappointed, but again she wasn’t sure why as she had known it wasn’t and hadn’t really hoped that it was either. She couldn’t understand the nagging feeling she felt when he denied it. 

“Then why…” Aoi started but stopped when he was swatted (gently Hari noticed) at the head by a tall boy with wavy brown hair that seemed to go in an upward direction and Hari noticed the way he gave Aoi a look. 

“Don’t be rude,” he said before smiling gently at Hari and she thought it was a little contrast to the rather rough look he had going for him. “Hello, I’m Kurobane Harukaze. Hajimemashite.”

“Hajimemashite,” Hari nodded at him. “Echizen Hari.” 

That had Saeki introduce the rest of them and they sat down by their table when Hari asked them two, because like she told them; “you’re giving me a crick in the neck!” 

Hari resisted the urge to shift in her seat as she observed the boys that were a part of Saeki’s team, she blinked when she noticed the wide eyes of Aoi as he stared at her. 

“Um,” she looked from him to Saeki and back again waiting for him to say something. 

“What have you been doing?” Aoi asked curiously. 

“Jiro-kun has tried to kill me with tennis,” Hari quipped and smiled wider as she saw the startled looks from his team. 

“Jiro-kun?” Aoi repeated shocked. 

Saeki tilted his head as he looked at Hari before he smiled amusedly. 

“Mm-mm,” Hari nodded. “You have a problem with that?” 

Aoi shook his head in negative before looking at Saeki. 

“Don’t look at me,” he said, “she’s the one who decided to call me that.” 

“What? You’re teaching her tennis, Saeki?” Kisarazu Ryo asked looking at Saeki and talking like Hari wasn’t even there. He missed the annoyed look Hari gave him, but Saeki saw it and almost winced. 

“I don’t know if…” 

“Because I mean, with all of Oji-sensei’s practice and stuff I don’t think you have the time to waste on teaching a pretty girl to play tennis,” Kisarazu continued. 

“What did I say,” Kurobane snapped and glared at his teammate, “don’t be rude.” 

Hari narrowed her eyes as she looked at the long-haired boy; he gave her a cold look and a snort of disinterest before looking away. He didn’t apologize and an awkward silence stretched between them. 

Saeki opened his mouth to say something, but Hari stopped him as she tilted her head staring at Kisarazu. He wasn’t sure what to expect when Hari smiled at his idiotic teammate who had opened his mouth and spoken about something he knew nothing about. And now Hari was annoyed and he could only start to imagine what that would mean for his teammate. 

“Well, if you don’t think I’m worth teaching then why don’t you play a game with me and we’ll see,” Hari suggested innocently. “I mean if you’re not too scared to play against someone who’s only had one real lesson with Jiro-kun. I’m only a ‘pretty girl’, right?” 

“I’m not kind like Saeki,” Kisarazu scoffed as he glared at her, “I won’t play ‘nice’ with you just because you’re new to the game.” 

“That’s fine,” Hari still smiled and tilted her head to the other side. 

“I’d crush you,” he warned her. 

“Nothing new,” Hari shrugged and leaned back as she still smiled at him but her eyes were calculating and almost mischievous reminding Saeki that she also liked her pranks. 

“Fine,” Kisarazu said. 

 

They ended up at the courts that belonged to Rokkaku Middle School and Hari glanced around curiously as she took in the various playground equipment that was scattered around the court. It was no surprise that there were plenty of kids playing and their laughter was loud and cheerful. 

“Oniisan’s,” the choir of kids called when they spotted the tennis team approaching. 

Hari watched as Saeki and the others were surrounded by kids and they smiled and answered their questions with patience and kindness.

“Who are you?” A boy with blond hair asked or rather demanded. 

“Echizen Hari,” Hari said with a small smile. 

“What are you doing here?” 

“She’s going to play Ryo-niisan,” Aoi grinned. 

“EH? But she’s a girl,” one of the boys said.

“Ryo-niisan will crush her,” another one said. 

“Let’s just wait and see,” Saeki sighed giving Hari an apologetic look but Hari just shrugged. They were kids and she didn’t take offence by their words, besides she would show them just how good a girl could be. 

They walked to the court and Hari got out her purple racket and gripped it a couple of times before she got ready on her side of the court. She hid her smirk as she stared at the arrogant looking boy on the other side of the court with the cheering kids behind the fence behind him. 

Saeki and the rest of the team was gathered at the side of the court watching. Everyone but Saeki looked slightly worried. 

“Ready?” Kisarazu asked. “There’s still time to back out.” 

“Just start,” Hari said. 

“Fine,” Kisarazu sighed. 

 

He started with a serve that clearly was meant to be a hard ball to catch and Hari could tell that he didn’t intend to go easy on her at all. She missed the ball, but it was all part of her plan. 

15-0

He served another ball and she hit it back before he returned it making her miss it, but again she didn’t show anything on her face as she watched him. 

30-0

He smirked at her as he served once more making the ball spin in the air and change direction and she knew that this was a difficult ball to stop, but with her speed, she would be able to do so. Yet she allowed it to get past her just missing it. 

40-0

The next one and he would win the game without her getting a point. Hari knew she looked to be as weak as he suggested. She knew and she planned for it. She saw the way his confident filled and he had a smug look on his face. 

1-0

 

“Maybe this wasn’t a good idea at all,” Aoi worried at the side as he stared at the beautiful girl on the court. She was not getting a point of Kisarazu and it looked like a difficult game. He looked at Saeki who was looking very calm as he watched the game. 

“Saeki,” Shudo said quietly, “are you sure this is a good idea?” 

“Just wait and watch,” Saeki told them. “She’s playing…” 

Aoi frowned and looked at the court where Kisarazu just took the last point meaning he won the first game. Yet, Hari didn’t look worried or even annoyed. She was smiling slightly as she nodded at something before getting ready to serve. 

Aoi blinked when he saw her form and the way she held the ball and the racket. 

“Oi, oi,” a voice to his right said and he turned to see their coach having joined them. “This girl is someone special…” 

“Eh?” Aoi blinked and looked back at the court just in time to see Hari perform a perfect, or near perfect, Slice Serve. It took Kisarazu by surprise and he was unable to move as he stared at the place the ball had sped past him. 

“Finally,” Saeki commented. 

“Eh?” Aoi said again but he wasn’t the only one who was confused. The rest of the team was just as confused as they stared at the girl that had not gotten a point at the last game. 

“It was just luck,” Kisarazu called over at Hari, but Aoi wasn’t sure. 

“Hm? You think so?” Hari asked with a smile. 

“Everyone can get a lucky shot once in a while,” Kisarazu said. 

“Well, want to bet?” Hari asked. 

“Yeah!” 

Aoi heard Saeki sigh next to him and glanced at him to see him shake his head slightly, but he didn’t say anything. 

“I say that I’ll successfully use the Slice Serve for the remainder of this game,” Hari said, “and you will have to add some colour to your hair by my choosing.” 

Kisarazu looked momentarily doubtful and Aoi could understand him, but he nodded in agreement. 

“Fine,” he said, “if you fail, and I think you will, then you’ll cut your hair as short as I feel fit.” 

“Deal,” Hari agreed right away. 

“Oh boy,” Aoi said wide-eyed. “She’s brave.” 

“He’s an idiot,” Saeki shook his head. 

“You think she’ll make the next three serves?” Amane Hikaru asked. 

Saeki didn’t answer and they turned their attention back to the court where Hari was prepared to take the next serve. She held the racket in the continental grip, Aoi noticed that now, and tossed the ball up and hit the ball cleanly at the right side and the ball spun and curved to Kisarazu’s left and out of his reach. 

Hari lined up again and did the same thing and once more the ball spun too fast and curved to sharply for Kisarazu to catch up to it. He was frowning now. 

Hari took her stance and gripped her racket as she watched him, she could tell he was not as confident as before but he tried to appear as if he was. She smirked. She tossed the ball up in the air and hit it remembering what Tezuka had told her and felt her racket hit the ball with the right amount of force and cleanly. 

He missed the ball and scowled at her. 

Hari smirked as she looked at him. They were now even and he had lost the bet. 

1-1

 

The rest of the match was close, but Hari pulled away at the end and won 6-3. 

“SHE WON!” Aoi yelled excitedly and slightly shocked. 

“She did,” Kurobane nodded. 

“She did great,” Itsuki added before blowing air through his nose, sounding like a train or something. 

Saeki smiled as he walked over to Hari and threw an arm around her shoulder as he grinned at her. 

“You did it,” he said. 

She smiled back at him and wondered why his arm felt so warm, but again she pushed the thought away as she looked at the team who was staring at her. Aoi looked like he would bounce around the court if not for Kurobane holding him in place with a hand placed on his shoulders. 

Kisarazu looked stunned as he stood rooted on the other side of the court and hadn’t moved since the match ended. 

“You’re not a newcomer to tennis,” Shudo commented seriously as he stared at her. 

Hari tilted her head and smiled at him, “I never said I was.” 

“But…” Kisarazu who had stormed over to them stared at her. “You let me believe…” 

“It was your words,” Hari told him, “your assumptions and I never said I never played tennis before.” 

They stared at her surprised and then looked at Saeki who held up his hands. 

“Don’t look at me,” he said, “you should know that you shouldn’t judge someone by gender or looks. Hari-chan is a great tennis player.” 

“Yes, she is,” Oji interrupted and walked up to them. “You have a special talent, young girl.” 

Hari blinked at him and looked to Saeki who smiled. 

“This is our coach, Oji,” he introduced. “Oji, this is Echizen Hari.” 

“Are you a student here at Rokkaku, Echizen-san?” Oji asked leaning on his cane as he looked at her. 

“No, I’m not,” Hari said. 

“Too bad,” he hummed, “perhaps you would like to transfer over?” 

The others looked surprised but Saeki looked less so than the others while Hari blinked. 

“Oh, I’m not really looking for a new school at the moment,” Hari said, “and I’m happy at my own school.” 

Oji sighed but nodded. 

“Have you played tennis for a long time, Echizen-san?” Aoi asked. “You’re very good.” 

Hari made a thinking noise as she thought on how to answer. 

“I’ve played on and off since I was 8 years old,” Hari said, “but it’s only now that I’m actually on a team and focusing on playing tennis.” 

“But didn’t you say that Saeki was teaching you tennis?” 

Saeki shook his head amused as Hari just smiled. 

“I’m only teaching her how to develop her talent for the motion vision,” Saeki finally explained. “She’s got the basic of it down, but she wanted to learn more so I agreed to teach her.” 

Hari pouted at him, “why did you say that, Jiro-kun? It would have been more fun to have them guess.” 

“I know you think that,” Saeki rolled his eyes, “but I like the sanity of my team and if I let you lose then they will lose it.” 

“I’m not that bad,” Hari huffed. “I haven’t even started on which colour Kisarazu have to highlight his hair…” 

Kisarazu paled while Saeki grimaced slightly as he glanced at his teammate. 

“I…” 

“You want to back out?” Hari tilted her head as she looked at him. “Hm… then I’ll find something worse for you to do… You lost your bet and now you will have to live with it.” 

He sighed, “fine.” 

“Awesome,” Hari grinned at him and before anyone could say anything else she skipped over to her bag and grabbed it. “I’ll be back in a little bit. Wait here!” 

Saeki's eyes widened as he watched Hari run off and grimaced. Uh-oh, he thought. That would end up in a disaster. Well, the shop (he guessed she was looking for that) was just around the corner so she should find it alright. He decided to have faith in her and wait and see. 

“Soo… just who is she, Saeki?” Kurobane asked. 

“Yeah! What Bane-chan said, who is she?!” Aoi bounced up and down, “she’s really pretty. Does she have a boyfriend?” 

“What school does she go to?” Amane asked. 

Saeki sighed as he rubbed his neck. 

“She’s a friend,” he said, “I met her a few weeks ago. And, I don’t know if she has a boyfriend. She hasn’t said anything and I haven’t asked. And last, she attends Seigaku Middle School in Tokyo.” 

Oji arched a grey brow at that as he hummed. “Interesting.” 

“So she’s on the girls' team there?” 

“No,” Saeki shook his head. “She’s on the boy’s team. Not a regular yet, but she will be soon. I’m sure of it.” 

 

Saeki glanced at the clock and frowned. He looked toward the gate of the school and sighed. 

“She’s using a long time…” Aoi commented. 

“Yeah,” Saeki sighed. “She’s probably…” 

What she probably was they didn’t hear because Hari came through the gates with a small bag in one hand and waving with the other one. 

“You got lost again, didn’t you?” Saeki asked when she was close enough. 

“No!” Hari shook her head. “You didn’t tell me the store was so difficult to find!” 

“It’s just around the corner,” Saeki arched a brow at her. 

“It moved,” Hari pouted. 

“Sure it did,” Saeki snorted. 

“Hey,” Hari scowled at him. “I don’t get lost.”

“Then how did we meet, Hari-chan?” Saeki smirked. 

Hari huffed, “details.” 

“Proof,” he said with a laugh. 

“How did you meet?” Aoi interrupted them. 

Hari sighed and shook her head while Saeki chuckled. 

“She got lost and ended up in Chiba,” he told them making the rest of the team laugh and Hari pouted. 

“Cute,” Aoi stated and Hari rolled her eyes but didn’t respond to his wide eyes as he stared at her. 

“Anyway,” Hari turned toward Kisarazu who looked resigned. “This one.” 

She pulled out a tube of blue hair dye and then a white one. 

“Two colours?” he frowned. 

“Mhm,” Hari nodded. “Blue and white, the colours of my team.” 

He sighed and nodded. 

 

A while later they all waited for Kisarazu to step out and show them the result. Hari was smiling and looking relaxed on her seat next to Saeki. 

“Come on,” Hari called out. “I have to leave soon. I want to see the result before I go.” 

“You’re evil,” Kisarazu said as he stepped out. 

His long hair was now blue and white in between the black making it clear that her inspiration had been Seigaku’s colours and Hari grinned. 

“Sugoi,” she laughed. “Very cool.” 

“I look stupid,” he muttered. 

His teammates laughed and nudged his shoulder. 

“Well, you do look pretty,” Amane snorted.

Kurobane swatted him annoyed but he smiled a little right after as he looked at Kisarazu. 

“It’s not that bad,” he said. 

Kisarazu scowled but he shrugged and looked at Hari. He stepped up and gave her a bow. 

“Hontou ni gomen nasai,” he said sincerely. “I shouldn’t have talked to or about you like that, Echizen-san.” 

Hari looked at him for a moment before she nodded. 

“Thank you,” she accepted his apology. 

 

Hari was still in a good mood when she got to school two days later. She had talked with Saeki on texts the day before while working on her homework for her Charm lessons, and gotten reassurances that Kisarazu was alright and not to upset by the bet and the consequences.

She walked to the classroom when she spotted the first years again gathered in the hallway whispering. She tilted her head as she observed them for a moment while getting closer to them. 

“…he was out there again today…” 

“…what do you think he was doing?” 

“…I don’t think we should be spying on him…” 

Was among the things they were whispering and Hari was very curious about who they were talking about. They were clearly spying on someone and the curiosity in her was awakened. It wasn’t exactly like it was back in Hogwarts, but Ron and Hermione would be the first to say that Hari was a very curious person. Only this time Hari doubted that the answer would bring her any danger. 

“You know…if you’re talking about spying on someone you shouldn’t do that in the hallway where anyone could hear you,” Hari spoke up making the three boys jump high in the air and spun around to look at her. 

“Ah…E-Echizen-san,” Kachiro stuttered. 

“How long have you been there?” Mizuno asked eyes flickering around the hallway. 

“You shouldn’t spy on us!” Horio yelled. 

Hari arched a brow at him. “Isn’t that like a pot calling a kettle black?” 

“Huh?” they looked at her confused. 

Hari rolled her eyes. “You were just talking about spying on someone and then accusing me of spying on you…” 

“Oh,” they said. 

“Well?” Hari tilted her head. “This is the second time I find you like this… It’s very curious.” 

“It’s none of your business,” Horio tried to say bravely while the other two looked worried. 

“Hm, maybe not,” Hari shrugged, “but I want to know anyway. Who are you spying on?” 

They refused to say anything and Hari sighed. “More job on me. I’ll find out.” 

They hurried away and she hummed as she stared after them.

“Yes, I will,” she told herself. “A new little mystery.” 

 

She found out right before practice when she saw the three boys trying to hide very poorly around a corner while staring at Inui. She arched a brow surprised. Were they spying on Inui? Why? 

She shifted her focus over at Inui who was pulling out a bottle of something she couldn’t tell what was. She tilted her head as she saw the scary smile on Inui’s face and she wondered if she needed to be worried. 

She shrugged it off and went to warm up together with Ryoma who smiled at her and instantly the contest between the two was on. They raced around the court and ignored the cheering from Kikumaru as they raced. 

“I won!” Hari cheered when they got to what they had deemed the finish line. 

“Only because you cheated,” Ryoma scoffed. 

“I did not cheat,” Hari frowned at him but a smile threatened to take over because she knew she had been a little harsh in the last turn. 

Ryoma rolled his eyes but he didn’t say anything because they both knew that they didn’t really have any rules when they ran like this. It was fun and exciting. 

“I’ll beat you next time,” Ryoma said. 

“You can try,” Hari stuck her tongue out at him. 

“Gather around!” Tezuka called out and effectively ending the bickering between Hari and Ryoma much to the others amusement.

 

Hari jogged over to the other boys who wasn’t a part of the regulars and joined them in their training. She saw the looks she got but she ignored it and grabbed her racket. 

“Hey,” Hari looked to her side and saw a very tall and lanky boy with short spiky dark hair and dark eyes looking at her.

“Hey,” Hari answered a little unsure, but not unfriendly.

“I’m Nagayama Michio,” he said shyly. “I, um, just thought I would say hey.” 

Hari smiled warmer at him. “Well, hey.” 

He chuckled. “Want to pair up?” 

Hari nodded, “sure. That would be great.” 

She felt a little surprised by him approaching her but felt grateful since she had been a little worried about being on her own with the other boys. She knew that until she worked to prove herself they would be…difficult, she guessed she could say. But unlike with how it had been over at the girls' team, she had Ryoma and the other regulars who was becoming her friends and that would make it easier to deal with those who disapproved of her being there. 

So, she was pleasantly surprised when Nagayama approached her and seemed friendly. They worked together in silence for the most part, but much to Hari’s relief it wasn’t stifling or tense. She smiled a little as she returned a ball from him and saw him having to reach for it but he made it. 

They heard the noise coming from the regulars and Hari glanced over at the court and saw Inui smirking (in what she only could call an evil way) at Oishi who suddenly screamed and ran a couple of steps before collapsing. 

“Oishi!” Kikumaru’s voice was the loudest of the worried calls to their Vice-Captain. 

“Inui-san must be out with his juice again,” Nagayama commented. 

“Eh?” Hari asked confused. 

“You haven’t heard of it yet?” he asked her and she shook her head. “Well, he makes something that has been dubbed ‘Inui-juice’ because…well, they’re unique. And…you just saw the result from drinking it.” 

“They normally collapse when drinking it?” Hari arch a brow surprised. 

“Eventually,” Nagayama grimaced. “Though, normally they manage to get a little farther…” 

Hari looked at Inui who was frowning slightly before writing in his book, probably getting new data. The others looked worried and determined. She hummed as she turned her attention back to Nagayama and their practice. While most had stopped to watch the regulars, Hari wanted to get her practice down because she wanted to improve. Obviously. 

 

“Ah! Back then!” Hari heard Kachiro yell and looked over to the first years that looked at each other and clearly had worked something out. 

“That was what he was doing!” Horio declared. “Finding ingredients for his new Inui-juice!” 

“I never want to drink that,” Mizuno shuddered. 

Hari snorted. Looks like her mystery was solved. How…boring. She snorted quietly at herself. Was she disappointed that the mystery was that easy and normal? This was what she wanted. A life with no life and death mysteries. So, it was good. 

Perhaps she had gotten a little too used to the mysteries at Hogwarts and kind of missed the thrill? She frowned. Did she miss that? No, but she had gotten so used to being drawn into trouble that when a mystery turned out to have a normal and boring explanation she was unused to that. 

She wasn’t even making sense of this in her head. 

“You okay?” Nagayama asked. 

“I’m fine,” Hari smiled at him. “Thanks.” 

 

“You had to drink it, huh?” Hari asked as she stared at Ryoma who was leaned over the water station while Oishi and Kaido were lying on the ground moaning. 

“Sh-shut up,” Ryoma moaned. 

Hari shook her head, “is it really that bad?” 

“Worse,” Oishi groaned. 

Hari wondered if it was worse than potions, but she wasn’t sure if she ever wanted to find out. If a look at them was any indication, she would say that she never wanted to. 

“It’s not that bad,” Fuji said as he joined them. 

“Sou ka?” Hari looked at him. 

He smiled at her with his eyes closed (like normal) and she had a feeling he was trying to trick her. She snorted. 

“Somehow, I’m not sure I believe you,” Hari said and he pretended to look hurt but she laughed and he smiled. 

“Ka-chan,” Hari looked at Kaido, “are you okay?” 

**“I’m going to die,”** he hissed. 

“I’m sure it’s not that bad,” Hari told him automatically making Fuji give her a curious look. 

Kaido just hissed something again but Hari didn’t catch it this time. 

 

Atobe stood in the shadow and watched her. She was talking with the others of her team, and wasn’t that a surprise? She was a part of the boys’ team. He had not expected that. He was also more than convinced that she was the right Harriett Lily Potter that his parents had been looking for. It was a thrilling and confusing thought for him because he felt a thrill of having found her, but confused about where she had been all this time. 

He had watched the entire practice and he must admit that she was good. She had talent and would be even better with a little more practice. Something he would help her with is she wanted to. He wondered if his parents would have her move in with them. That would be great, and then he might not be so lonely. He quickly got rid of the thought. He never liked to dwell on that. But there was the question about where she was living now, so maybe she wouldn’t want to move in with them despite her parents being connected to his. 

When they all had changed and Hari had joined the rest of the regulars. Atobe knew some of them, like Tezuka and Fuji. The others he had met briefly but didn’t really know. It was clear that while Hari wasn’t a regular, she was seen as one of them and that would have been great if Atobe wasn’t planning on getting her to transfer over to Hyotei. 

He inhaled before stepping forward and making his presence known for the Seigaku tennis team who all stopped walking as he did. 

“Ah! It’s you!” Momoshiro exclaimed pointing at him wildly. 

Atobe arched a perfect brow at him before his onyx eyes found Hari who looked back at him with an unimpressed look. What was with that? He mentally asked. She really didn’t seem to be impressed by him and he wasn’t sure he liked that. 

“What are you doing here?” Hari asked bored. 

“You know him, Hari-chan?” Fuji asked curiously but Atobe caught the calculating look he quickly hid behind his mask of closed eyes and kind smile as he looked at Hari. Atobe hid a shiver, he really didn’t want to piss off Fuji if he could help it. 

“Well, not really,” Hari shrugged. 

“He’s the one who asked her out;” Momoshiro said. 

“Atobe asked you out,” Kikumaru asked surprised. “Momo! You didn’t say it was _him_!” 

Atobe sighed as he was suddenly glared at by the team, especially the youngest one there with eyes that reminded him of a cat. 

“Honestly,” Hari sighed, “it’s no big deal. Atobe-san, what are you doing here?” 

“I’m here to talk to you,” Atobe said confidently. “Privately.” 

Hari arched a brow as she stared at him. 

“And why should I talk with you privately? I don’t know you,” Hari said. 

Atobe sighed. Why was she so stubborn? 

“I have something to tell you that would be best to talk about in private,” he told her meeting her eyes. 

Hari stared at him. She wasn’t sure she should go and talk to him on her own because she didn’t know him and he had been trying to get her out on a date. She hid a grimace. Was this another attempt to get her on a date? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? :) I didn't really plan on having her spend so much time with the Rokkaku team, but they wouldn't let go so Hari ended up spending more time with them. Hope you liked it. XD 
> 
> Sorry about the very late update! I honestly meant for this to be ready earlier, but a little writing block in addition to a crazy week with a job interview at the start of the week helped to make the update delayed. So, I apologize for the delay. Thank you for your patience! 
> 
> Thanks for your support! 
> 
> Japanese words used: 
> 
> Honto - Really  
> Daijobu - All right  
> Yatta - Yey  
> Osu - Hey  
> Hajimemashite - Nice to meet you  
> Sugoi - Amazing  
> Hontou ni gomen nasai - I'm really sorry  
> Sou ka? - Is that so?


	15. Lily's your what?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing!
> 
>  
> 
> _inner dialouge/thoughts or memory_

Hari stared at Atobe with a searching look. He stared back at her and while he kind of reminded her of Draco Malfoy with the confidence and superior aura around him, like he thought he was better than anyone around him, there was something….something different about him. It was the way his eyes seemed to almost beg her to talk to him. Now, why would he need to talk to her that badly? 

“Why don’t we talk right over there,” Atobe spoke up when the silence stretched on and pointed to the side. Hari glanced over and saw that it would be out of the others hearing distance but not outside of their view. “That way your friends can see us, but I can still talk to you alone. Tanomu.” 

Hari narrowed her eyes, “what’s so important that you have to talk to me alone?” 

Though, she couldn’t keep the curiosity out of her voice as she asked. She noticed how he shifted slightly on his feet, she wasn’t sure the others noticed this at all because it was very minutely. Did he seem nervous? 

“I will tell you,” Atobe said, “I’m not going to ask you out again. I promise.” 

Hari arched a brow and sighed. 

“Fine,” she finally said. “Ryo-chan, would you mind waiting for me?” 

Ryoma was staring at Atobe as well and took a moment before he looked away from Atobe to look at her. She saw the concern in his eyes as he looked at her searchingly. 

“Of course not,” he said. 

“We’ll wait,” Fuji spoke up calmly but Hari caught the warning look he threw at Atobe. 

She gave him a small smile to show her gratefulness before walking away and knew Atobe followed her. She wondered why she even bothered to agree with this, or why she suddenly felt a stab of foreboding and that kind of stabbing feeling in the stomach that told her that something unexpected was about to happen. It was a feeling she knew very well and it had never brought anything good with it. 

A flash of a giant green snake with yellow eyes and a head with two faces crossed her mind and she had to work to push it out and not show allow a grimace to access her face. She hoped it worked. 

“So, what is it you need to talk to me about?” Hari asked arching a brow at him as she looked at him. 

He didn’t say anything for a moment and she considered probing him again, but she kept silent and just watched him. 

“Do you really not know who I am?” he asked. 

She blinked at him before frowning. 

“Should I?” she asked wondering what he was on about. 

He nodded and his eyes were staring searchingly at her like he was looking for a lie. 

“Well, I don’t,” Hari scowled. “Was that it?” 

He sighed and looked a little annoyed, “I don’t understand why you don’t know… I mean, your mother was my godmother.” 

Hari stilled completely as she stared at him with round eyes behind her glasses not comprehending what he had just said. He was still looking at her with that look of his and the confidence still clung around him, but there was something else there as well. Something Hari couldn’t tell. 

“Nan da to?” she managed to get out. “How…I don’t…” 

“Lily Potter was my godmother,” Atobe repeated slowly. 

It was a shock hearing her mother’s name so unexpected and her first thought was that it was a lie, a trap and a way to get her to go back to the Magical World, even if it didn’t make sense. 

“I…No one ever told me,” Hari looked at him suspiciously. “How do I know you’re telling me the truth?” 

“This isn’t really the place for that conversation,” Atobe said glancing toward where Ryoma and the regulars were waiting, watching. “I…” 

“I’m not going anywhere with you,” Hari interrupted him with a scowl and her arms crossed over her chest as she stared at him. 

She was feeling unsettled and wanted more than anything to walk away, because this couldn’t be true. She would have known if her mum had a godchild. 

Wouldn’t she? 

_Like you knew you had a godfather?_ A small voice whispered in her ear sounding very much like Hermione. 

_That’s different_ , Hari told the voice. 

_How?_

“Why are you so stubborn?!” Atobe snapped interrupting her inner discussion making Hari look at him again. 

“I don’t know you,” Hari told him with narrowed eyes, “and you want me to go with you? How do I know that you’re not trying to take me back there? Or that you’re not with them? I’m not going back! It’s an original story, I’ll give you that, but I’m not falling for it.” 

She thought how easily she had been tricked before, with both Quirrell and Tom Riddle, even with Sirius and Wormtail in some degree. How easily she had been tricked into believing something and led to believe lies and ended up in dangerous situations. She wouldn’t make the same mistake again… 

Atobe gaped at her for a moment and looked honestly confused making her wonder if he really was telling the truth before she steeled herself again. She wasn’t going to fall for it, she wasn’t going to risk being tricked into going back. Not when she finally had a family, when she had Ryoma in her life again. 

“What are you talking about?” he asked shocked. Even Hari could tell it was an unfamiliar look on his face. “Take you back where? I’m just talking about going to my house so I can explain just who I am and how we’re connected.” 

Hari arched a brow, “I’m not going to your house.” 

He looked like he wanted to groan, but he refrained with what looked like great effort. 

“Fine,” he sighed and frowned at her again. 

Hari just glared back while trying to get control over her raging thoughts and unsettled feelings. Did he really tell her the truth? Was he her mum’s godson? Why hadn’t anyone told her that her mum had a godson?

“How can you be mum’s godson?” Hari asked letting some of her confusion show, “I mean… how did you even knew her?” 

He sighed and looked away from her for a moment as if he was thinking on what to say or how to say it. Hari felt the impatience nag at her to demand answers, but she bit down on her lower lip to stop it from bursting out. 

“My mother is half Japanese and half English,” Atobe finally said meeting her eyes. “She is the daughter of a businessman who owned several of the businesses in Cokeworth.” 

Hari blinked. That was the small town where they had spent the night at a hotel running from her Hogwarts letter, wasn’t it? A memory she had not really thought about came back to her. 

_“I don’t like being back here, Vernon,” Aunt Petunia said quietly._

_“It’s just for a night, Pet,” Uncle Vernon reassured her. “I know you don’t have good memories of this town.”_

_“It’s just…I keep seeing her at every corner,” Aunt Petunia said._

_“It’s just imagination,” he grimaced at the word, “we will be gone tomorrow. You never have to be back here again.”_

Hari hadn’t thought much about it and hadn’t really thought about it since, but it was clear that aunt Petunia had some connection to the place. 

“My mother’s best friend was a girl from one of the Middle-Class families,” Atobe continued breaking into Hari’s memories. “Her name was Lily Evans and they were the same age and were in the same class at school. My grandfather saw the use in having mother attend a regular school and get to know the people in the middle class, the families of his workers.” 

Hari wanted him to get to the point, to the part with her mother. So, this town had been her mother’s hometown? Hari hadn’t known that… 

“Mother and Lily was close from the start and did everything together,” Atobe continued. “Mother said Lily was the closest she had to a sister, and even though Lily had a sister my mother was a sister to her as well.” 

Hari couldn’t help but be caught up in his story, always wanting to hear more about her parents. It shook her stance about not believing him. 

“They kept in touch even as Lily started the boarding school and mother started her private school when they turned 11,” Atobe smiled a little. “They wrote each other and met up during their holidays. When mother married father Lily was her maid of honour and when I was born a year later she was the natural choice for godmother. She was already married to James by then and pregnant with you.” 

Hari couldn’t help it. She had to keep listening even as she told herself that it couldn’t be true, but it was sounding more and more like a lie in her ears as she listened to him talk about her mum and dad with more details than she ever knew. 

“Our parents talked about us, how I would be like your older brother,” Atobe said with a small frown on his face. “I, obviously, don’t remember meeting you when you were born but Mother has pictures of us together. I’m holding you with the help of Lily and showing you a stuffed animal.” 

He looked at her now with a sort of pleading look, a look she knew would be very uncharacteristic for him just out from what she had seen of him. 

“I…” Hari frowned. “I never knew…” 

He frowned again, “I have no idea why you wouldn’t know…” 

“I never knew much about my parents,” Hari admitted quietly. 

Atobe looked surprised, then angry but he pushed it away and she saw the effort it took him. She also saw the effort it took for him to not ask her about it and she was wondering if she really could believe him. 

But even if what he told her was the truth what did that mean for her? Did it really make any difference to her right now? 

“Mother could tell you more about Lily,” Atobe told her with a surprisingly gentle voice. 

Hari had no idea what to think anymore nor what to do. This was all getting to be too much and she felt her mind spinning with all the new information. Information that came out of nothing and was bringing a part of her life back that she so desperately tried to avoid. 

“I need to think,” she muttered. “I…” 

Atobe sighed and looked frustrated but he nodded. “Fine, here..:” 

Hari blinked when a small piece of paper was held in front of her and she saw a name and number was written on it. 

“My number,” he explained. “Call me when you have thought about it.” 

His mask was up again and he smirked at her with the confidence she had seen in him earlier, he took a step back and turned around to leave. He took a couple of steps before he paused and turned around again to look at her.

“Hari-chan, I hope you will consider coming to meet my parents,” he said seriously. “They have really been worried about you and…they think you’re dead like aunt Lily and uncle James.” 

With that he turned and walked away leaving Hari standing there stunned and unmoving staring after him. 

 

“Hari?” Ryoma sounded almost frantic as he shook her lightly. “Are you alright?” 

Hari blinked and saw Ryoma and the rest of the regulars’ right behind him all watching her worriedly. 

“What did he tell you?” Fuji asked as his eyes flashed. 

Hari shook her head trying to gather her thoughts again and looked away from them and at the piece of paper in her hand before she shoved it into her pocket. She inhaled deeply and gave them a smile to reassure them. 

“I’m fine,” she said. “Just… a little shocked.” 

“Shocked?” Momoshiro tilted his head as he watched her. “It looked to be a serious talk…” 

“Did he ask you out again?” Kikumaru asked. “Do we need to beat him up for you?!” 

“Eiji!” Oishi sighed exasperatedly. “Don’t talk like that.” 

“But, Oishi! If he asked her out then we have to because we have to protect her!” Kikumaru whined. “If he hurt her…” 

Hari tuned him out and focused on Ryoma who was looking worriedly at her. 

“He just…” Hari frowned because she didn’t really want to tell them. Not yet. Not when she wasn’t sure what to think herself yet. She sighed. 

“Well,” Tezuka cleared his throat and got the others attention right away even Kikumaru stopped arguing with Oishi about the duty to protect Hari from Atobe. “You know you can talk to us if you need to, Hari-san. Now, go home and be prepared for practice tomorrow!” 

He directed the last order to all of them and Hari shot him a grateful smile to which he returned with a short nod before turning away and walked in the other direction. 

 

Hari stared at the page in her book. The words were meaningless to her right now, they only swam in front of her eyes not making any sense as her mind was too focused on the conversation with Atobe and the fact that he was somehow connected to her mother. 

Was it true? Was her mum really his godmother? 

A flash of anger hit her as she thought that it was yet another thing hidden from her, yet another part of her family history that was hidden and withheld from her. Did Dumbledore know? She wasn’t sure if he would know about Lily’s friends outside of school. It wasn’t normal for a headmaster to know about stuff like that about their students. 

_But Dumbledore wasn’t a normal headmaster now, was he? Nor was Lily just a normal student, either._

The small voice in her mind whispered in her mind, and it was true, Hari thought. From what Remus and Sirius (the little time she had with him) had said Dumbledore had been in her parents’ lives even after graduation. 

She sighed and rubbed her eyes trying to focus on the homework for once, but it seemed like an impossible task. She pushed the book away from her frustrated and got up starting to pace the floor and shot Hedwig an apologetic look when she hooted annoyed at her. 

“Hari?” Ryoma poked his head into her room and gave her a concerned look. “Doshita?” 

She rolled her eyes at him before falling back at her bed not answering him. She felt bad but right now she couldn’t focus on it. She was aware that Ryoma entered her room and sat down on the edge of the bed watching her.

“You’ve been distracted ever since Atobe talked with you,” Ryoma said after a while. 

“Hm,” Hari sat up and reached over at the nightstand and pulled the small drawer open and somehow managed to pull out her photo album ignoring the letter from Sirius that fell out at the same movement and landed on the floor. 

She flipped through the album almost frantically until she found the pictures of her parents’ wedding. She was aware that Ryoma was watching her, but he didn’t say anything. 

She took a moment to watch her mum’s smile and brilliant auburn hair and green eyes, and her dad’s awed smile and glasses that was sitting lopsidedly on his nose and his messy wild hair. She then started to look at the surrounding people. 

She found Sirius and Remus, both looking younger and happier than she had ever seen them before and she felt a stab of pain at the thought of all they had been through now that had made them both age so much. She briefly thought about sending a letter to Sirius or Remus about Atobe. They would know, Hari was sure, but… if she asked about it, they would easily figure out where she was. There was no way they wouldn’t connect the question to her location, so no. She couldn’t and wouldn’t ask them. 

Besides…she felt a little annoyed that they hadn’t told her either. 

There. 

She inhaled as she saw the picture of her mum with a woman with brown hair, onyx eyes and a tear-mole under her right eye just as Atobe had. Was this his mother? 

Both Lily and the other woman was smiling and had their arms linked together, and was waving up at her as they laughed happily. 

“He was telling the truth,” Hari whispered. 

“Hari?” Ryoma asked. 

Hari looked up at him. “He was telling the truth, Ryo-chan,” she repeated. 

“Truth about what?” Ryoma asked confused. 

“Mum was his godmother,” Hari told Ryoma who arched a brow surprised. “His mum and my mum were best friends…” 

She showed the picture to Ryoma and told him what Atobe had told her. She knew that she could trust Ryoma and she needed to talk to someone about it. She would have talked to Ron and Hermione but they weren’t here and Ryoma was the one she trusted the most. 

“Huh,” Ryoma blinked when she was finished and he gave her a look that showed concern and understanding. “Okashii-naa.” 

Hari nodded. 

“What should I do, Ryo-chan?” she asked.

He looked at her for a moment. 

“What do you want to do, Hari?” he asked instead of answering. 

She pulled a hand through her hair frustrated and confused. 

“I don’t know,” she admitted honestly. 

“Then wait and see,” Ryoma told her. “You don’t have to figure it out today.” 

Hari blinked at him making him stare back. 

“Huh,” Hari said and a slow smile started to spread on her face. 

“What?” he scowled at her suspiciously. “Why are you smiling like that?” 

“Like what, Ryo-chan?” Hari asked innocently. 

“Like that!” Ryoma waved a hand at her. 

“Just who would have thought you could be so mature and give such grown-up advice,” Hari told him before laughing when he lunged for her and they crashed to the floor in a wrestling match both ignoring Hedwig’s indignant hooting. 

They twisted and rolled around the floor until the door was opened and Rinko and Nanako entered the room before stopping abruptly spotting the two wrestling kids on the floor. 

“What’s going on?” Rinko asked but she sounded amused. 

Hari and Ryoma (who both had missed them entering the room) froze and looked up at them in what would be a very uncomfortable position. Their legs were locked together and Hari had her arm around Ryoma’s shoulder while he was somehow managing to hold onto her as well. 

“Um,” they both blinked at them. 

Nanako was holding a hand over her mouth hiding her smile and giggle. 

“It sounded like you were trying to kill each other,” Rinko told them with an arched brow. “Mind telling me what has you acting like little kids?” 

They somehow managed to get free and out of the uncomfortable positions before getting back to their feet rubbing their necks looking sheepish. 

“Just having fun,” Hari shrugged. 

“Yeah,” Ryoma nodded. 

Rinko sighed and looked between them before shaking her head muttering something about little kids as she turned and left the room. 

 

The days passed by and Hari managed to get back into a regular rhythm of things and focused on tennis practice. She would be lying if she said she wasn’t thinking about what Atobe had told her, or that she didn’t look at the picture she had found in the album at all during the nights when she had trouble falling asleep or woke up because of her nightmares. 

But all in all, she found her way to the new normality that was becoming her days at Seigaku. She was also very grateful that the regulars all let her pretend that the meeting with Atobe hadn’t taken place. At least they didn’t ask her about it and if they gave her curious looks then she chose to ignore it. 

Hari was playing with Ryoma during practice when Ryuzaki suddenly called them over. Hari smiled when she saw Sakuno standing beside the older woman looking for a cross between confused and embarrassed. 

“Hey, Sakuno-chan,” Hari smiled at her and took in her tennis outfit. “You’ve been at practice?” 

Sakuno nodded and blushed as she glanced at Ryoma who was watching stoically. 

“Ah, Ryoma and Hari,” Ryuzaki smiled at them. “Are you free tomorrow, Ryoma?” 

“What about it?” Ryoma asked. 

Hari tilted her head curiously, “he is.” 

“Sakuno’s strings are all messed up,” Ryuzaki told them. “I was planning on taking her to Haritatsu’s, but I can’t. You know him, right Ryoma?” 

Hari glanced at Ryoma who looked bored and not really interested, but she nudged him making him frown at her. 

“He would be delighted to take Sakuno-chan to meet him,” Hari said for Ryoma who shot her a glare before blanking his face out before Sakuno noticed.

“Hari-chan!” Sakuno blushed furiously. 

“Wonderful,” Ryuzaki said amusedly. 

“Grandma!” Sakuno turned to her. 

“You’ll do it, right, Ryo-chan?” Hari smiled widely at her little brother who gave her a look that clearly said he wasn’t impressed. Hari just smiled wider. 

“Fine,” he sighed. 

“Accepting a girl’s request makes you at least a somewhat useful guy,” Ryuzaki said turning toward Sakuno who had stopped looking frantically and embarrassedly at her grandmother and Hari and was now blushingly staring at the ground. 

“Ari-Arigato gozaimasu,” Sakuno managed to say as she bowed to Ryoma. 

“Ha,” Ryoma said but glared when Hari slapped his arm.

“Attitude,” she told him firmly and he stuck out his tongue at her. 

“Very mature, Ryo-chan,” Hari rolled her eyes at him before looking at Sakuno who was watching them with wide brown eyes. Hari smiled kindly at her and stepped away from her brother and linked her arm with Sakuno’s. “Come on, Sakuno-chan.” 

“Wh-where are we going?” she stuttered slightly but she followed (not that Hari really left her a choice as she was dragging her by the linked arms). 

“I missed practising with you,” Hari told her. “Let’s go and practice together.” 

“H-hai,” Sakuno smiled. 

Ryuzaki was left with Ryoma staring after Hari and Sakuno who just rounded a corner and disappeared from view. Ryuzaki had a pensive look on her face as she watched. Hari seemed to have taken a liking to Sakuno, Ryuzaki noted a little surprised but pleased. She knew her granddaughter was a very timid girl and had problems with her confidence, but she was a good girl and was very compassionate. Hari could, hopefully, help bring Sakuno out of her shell a little. 

“Can I go back to practice now?” Ryoma asked bringing Ryuzaki out of her musings. 

“Of course,” Ryuzaki nodded. 

 

Sakuno was still a little flushed and Hari smiled amusedly as she watched the younger girl. 

“Will you come tomorrow as well?” Sakuno asked when they stopped at a spot underneath some trees.

“I don’t think so,” Hari said leaning toward a tree and observed Sakuno who blushed again. It was more fun than it should be to watch Sakuno blush, but it was so easy… “Why? You hoped that I would?” 

Sakuno looked away and Hari allowed herself to smile. 

“Don’t worry,” Hari laughed making Sakuno look at her. “It’s fine. You and Ryo-chan will have the day to yourself.” 

“I…I didn’t… I didn’t mean…” Sakuno stammered. 

Hari just grinned making Sakuno blush again. 

“Don’t take it so seriously, Sakuno-chan,” Hari told her. “I’m just teasing you.” 

Sakuno nodded and fiddled with the hem of her shirt. 

“Oi!” a loud voice interrupted them and Sakuno looked a little relieved when they spotted Tomoka coming toward them waving. “What are you doing?!” 

“We’re going to practice tennis,” Sakuno explained calmer now at the sight of her best friend. 

Tomoka glanced between the two with curious eyes, “oh? I thought you were on the boys’ team now, Hari-chan?” 

“I am,” Hari smiled at the girl. “I just thought it would be fun to practice with Sakuno-chan, so I’m doing that.” 

Tomoka looked between them before she nodded. 

“I was wondering if you wanted to come over to my place tomorrow if you’re free, Sakuno?” Tomoka asked. 

“Oh, um,” Sakuno looked nervous again. “I have to get the strings on my racket fixed….” 

“Oh,” Tomoka looked disappointed. 

“And…Ryoma-kun is going to take me,” Sakuno finished with a new blush. 

Hari smiled amusedly as she saw Tomoka stare at Sakuno blankly for a long moment as she processed the news. 

“WHAT?!” She yelled her eyes wide and hand wigwagging around her wildly. “YOU’RE GOING ON A DATE WITH RYOMA-SAMA?!” 

Hari winced at the loud voice and rubbed her ears as she shot the overly excited girl an annoyed look, but there was amusement as well in her expression. 

“Shush,” Sakuno blushed and looked around fretfully. “It’s not a date.” 

“Oh, I’m so jealous!” Tomoka moaned. “A date with Ryoma-sama! I want to come too!” 

“Then it wouldn’t be a date,” Hari pointed out with an amused smiled. 

“Hari-chan!” Sakuno blushed, “It’s not a date!” 

“Good point,” Tomoka nodded and gave Sakuno a look. “Well, you have to find the perfect outfit, Sakuno!” 

“Just avoid pink,” Hari advised her, “Ryo-chan doesn’t like it.” 

Sakuno was now so red that Hari wondered if she could get any redder. 

“It’s not a date,” Sakuno repeated hiding her face behind her hands. 

Hari chuckled but didn’t say anything else. She knew when to stop and right now she could tell that Sakuno had enough of their teasing.

“It’s fine, Sakuno-chan,” Hari smiled. “Let’s practice now. I won’t tease you anymore.” 

Sakuno looked at her sceptically and Hari held up her hand in what she had seen on the television to mean scouts-honour and Sakuno nodded. 

 

The next day Hari spent the morning working on her magic lessons, she had to send two essays to her private instructor that had been set up for her. She was very pleased with the home-schooling system they had set up for her for her magic lessons, just enough so that she could train her magic and still function in the magic world. Even if she was more inclined to stay in the muggle world. 

She had finished her essays and looked at the clock, it was almost time for Ryoma to go and meet Sakuno. Hari smiled slightly to herself before it fell as her eyes landed on the piece of paper she had stuck on the table lamp. 

Atobe Keigo – 222-XX-XXX

Her mind went back to that day at the beginning of the week and she wondered what to do. She had gotten over the shock now (well, mostly) and the curiosity had her wanting to reach out because of the chance of getting to know more about her mum… 

Should she talk to him? 

She bit down on her lower lip considering… 

She could avoid him and pretend that he wasn’t a connection to her past. That she hadn’t just been faced with something that was such a reminder of what she was trying to leave behind. It wouldn’t be impossible to do that, but… 

But she felt like a coward and she wasn’t a coward. She was a Gryffindor and even if she didn’t really liked the British Wizarding World right now and didn’t trust the professors and headmaster at Hogwarts didn’t mean that she hated the school itself. Hogwarts had been her first home, the first place she had felt welcomed (not counting Ryoma and his parents). And she kind of missed the warmth she had felt from the school when her life hadn’t been in danger. 

So, alright, she had been in danger most of the time but there were still some good times and she did miss Ron and Hermione. Though, that wasn’t what she was going to think about now. The point was, she was a Gryffindor and that meant that she was brave and wouldn’t hide just because she felt…well, scared. 

She hated to admit it, but it was true. She felt scared of what the connection to Atobe would mean. Did he have a connection to the British Magical World? Did meeting him mean she would be exposed to them again? What if his parents said something to someone and let it out that she was here? Maybe they didn’t think she should be hiding away here and continue at Hogwarts? Take up her parents' inheritance? 

Hari knew very well that these worries were (probably) just her mind overthinking the situation and the unknown. Hermione would say she was brooding. Atobe was clearly living in Japan and hadn’t said anything about being magical at all, in fact…she wasn’t sure he even knew about magic. She had a suspicion that he might know, there had been something in the way he had talked and the way he looked at her, but she couldn’t be sure. 

And…his mother (Hari still didn’t know her name) had been best friends with Lily since they were young kids. From before they Lily started Hogwarts, so that meant that Atobe’s mother most likely was a muggle. She hadn’t attended Hogwarts. 

Sighing Hari shook her head trying to clear it. This was getting ridiculous, she thought. She grabbed her phone before she could talk herself out of it again. 

Hey. Can we meet and talk today? I will wait at the burger place close by my school in one hour. Hari. 

She pressed send and let a small sigh leave her as she wondered if she had made the right choice. 

 

Hari walked downstairs and saw Ryoma getting ready just as Nanjiro entered the hallway muttering something about being hungry, but he paused when he saw Ryoma tying his shoes. 

“So, kiddo, where are you going?” he asked. “A deto?” 

“The racket stringer’s place,” Ryoma didn’t turn around as he answered. 

“Oh, it’s a date,” Hari grinned as she made herself known to them. “He’s going with this cute young girl who keeps blushing around him.” 

Nanjiro grinned happily with a teasing look in his brown eyes as he looked at Ryoma who scowled up at Hari. 

“Oh, oh,” Nanjiro drawled. “What a weird place to take your date, Ryoma… you should know better than that…” 

“I’m just taking Ryuzaki-sensei’s granddaughter there,” Ryoma scoffed looking away from Hari. “It’s no big deal and it’s not a date.” 

“That’s a poor excuse, Ryo-chan,” Hari smiled, “you’re going there alone with Sakuno-chan, and you even have gotten on your best jacket.” 

Ryoma huffed. 

“Have you already gotten to that age, huh?” Nanjiro cackled gleefully. “I’m so happy as your father too!” 

Hari smiled amusedly as she watched the father and son bicker back and forth a little until Ryoma left with an annoyed huff. 

Nanjiro was still laughing as he watched the door close. 

“Do you have plans today, Hari-chan?” he asked turning toward her when he calmed a little. 

Hari shrugged not wanting to tell the man that she had plans on meeting a boy (even if it was Atobe and only to find out more about her mum). She knew that he wouldn’t find it as amusing as he did with Ryoma for some stupid reason. She had seen how he had reacted to her being on the boys’ team and she wasn’t willing to have him going into overprotective mode right now. 

“I might go out to practice tennis a little,” she said with a shrug. “It’s not as exciting as Ryo-chan’s date…” 

“Hm, alright,” he nodded before grinning again. “I wonder if that boy even knows how to date.” 

“Probably not,” Hari snorted, “he’ll probably walk in silence and let Sakuno fret on what to say…” <(å>

Nanjiro frowned and Hari almost lets a sigh of relief out at how easy it was to distract him. He suddenly smiled.

“That’s right,” he said. “This is something I have to see!” 

He bounced out of the door leaving Hari to herself and she shook her head amused. 

“That was a clever distracting method,” Nanako spoke up softly from the kitchen door. 

Hari spun around to see the older girl standing there watching her curiously. Hari hadn’t noticed her being there and was now wondering what to do. 

“Oh,” she settled with. 

“Don’t worry,” Nanako smiled at her. “I won’t tell uncle that you distracted him on purpose. He can be a little overprotective of you.” 

Hari smiled gratefully at the older girl. 

“Thank you,” she said. 

“Where are you going?” Nanako asked. 

“I just have to talk to someone,” Hari said. 

“A boy?” Nanako was smiling now. 

Hari grimaced slightly but she nodded. 

“Yeah,” she nodded. 

“Alright,” Nanako said. “Just be careful, Hari-chan.” 

 

Hari sat at a table in the corner at the burger place when Atobe entered the diner alone. He walked with a swagger and looked around. Hari could tell when he spotted her and saw only a second of his emotions cross his face before the confident mask was back again as he headed over to her and sat down. 

“I was surprised by your text,” he said as a way of greeting. 

Hari nodded. 

“So…” Atobe looked at her when she didn’t say anything. “Have you had time to think?” 

“I guess,” she said feeling uncomfortable. “It’s a lot to take in.” 

He nodded slowly. 

“I guess I can understand that,” he said. “Do you believe me now?” 

“I think so,” Hari said a little unsurely. 

Atobe frowned, “if you don’t believe me why did you ask me to meet you? Why is it so difficult to believe?” 

Hari frowned back at him. 

“It’s not the first time I’ve been tricked into believing something,” Hari snapped at him. “I don’t want to end up in a bad situation again just because I want to know more about my parents! I can’t…” 

He looked worriedly at her now. 

“I wouldn’t lie to you,” he told her so sincerely that she had to blink. “Look. Here, I found this and thought you might be interested in seeing it.” 

He pulled out what looked like a small stack of papers, but Hari soon realised that it was photos. 

She took them and was met with the (unmoving) picture of two girls looking to be around nine years old. She immediately recognised her mum, Lily, with the same auburn hair as herself and green eyes. While the other girl had brown hair and onyx eyes that was shining in laughter. 

Hari swallowed. It was the girl or woman from her photo from her parents' wedding. If anything would convince her that it was true, this would do it. 

She looked at the other pictures in the small stack and saw Lily with Atobe’s mother in various situations until they looked to be adults. 

“You’re telling the truth,” she whispered. 

“The great Atobe never lies,” Atobe declared proudly making Hari snort as some of the tension left her as she gave him a looked that crossed between amused and incredulous. 

“You sound like a prat I knew speaking like that,” Hari told him making him frown at her but he smiled slightly as he picked up on her mood change. 

 

They talked and Atobe got them some food as they did, he tried to get them to go to a nicer place but Hari waved it off and happily ate her burger and fries. Atobe sighed but accepted it as he observed her quietly. 

Mainly it was Atobe who told her about his family, how his mother (who was named Atobe Yukiko) and his father (Atobe Jurou) met and married, how Lily had threatened his father to treat her best friend right or else. Hari couldn’t help but be pulled into the stories and wanting to hear more. 

“Mother will be able to tell you more,” Atobe said when they had finished eating and had talked for a while. 

“Oh, right,” Hari said suddenly nervous again. 

“Why? You don’t want to meet her?” Atobe asked. 

Hari took a moment to gather her thoughts as she looked up at Atobe who was watching her closely. 

“It’s not that. I just…” she sighed as she thought; What if she doesn’t like me?

She didn’t say this out loud, not wanting to sound weak or worried. Not anymore. 

 

Nanjiro stood beside four kids from Ryoma’s tennis club he didn’t remember the name of, but they were fun and amusing. They had been trying to stop him from following Ryoma and his date all day much to his delight. 

And now they were staring at Ryoma and Sakuno with a stunned realisation that this wasn’t a date and that Ryoma had only gone with her in place of her grandmother. 

“So boring,” Nanjiro huffed at the same time as Momoshiro. 

Nanjiro huffed again and turned around, “well, I’m going home.” 

He walked two steps before he suddenly froze making the others look at him. 

“Ossan!” Momoshiro called out. 

Nanjiro ignored him. Ryoma wasn’t on a date. He had followed him all afternoon because he thought he was going on a date and it wasn’t a date. 

Hari knew. 

Hari had known it wasn’t a date, but she had let him believe it was. She pushed him to think that. 

Why? Why would she do that? Nanjiro thought. 

“She played me!” Nanjiro suddenly yelled startling the others enough for them to take a couple of steps back. “Oh, that girl! She played me! She knew it wasn’t a date! She knew Ryoma wasn’t going on a date… why would she….she wasn’t going out to play tennis… oh, that girl. I have to find her!” 

He stormed off and left some very confused teens behind who had no idea what just happened or even who that man even was. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts? Hope you liked it! :) 
> 
> The hometown for Lily is a fictional town that JK Rowling made up for her Harry Potter universe that I found on Pottermore. So I took the hometown for Lily and Atobe Yukiko from there. And of course Atobe Yukiko's backstory is completely made up by me, I don't know anything about her from the PoT canon. Don't think she's mentioned, so I'm taking some liberties. :) 
> 
> Next chapter will have bonding between Hari and the Seigaku regulars! :) And a certain someone will make an appearance in some shape or form! XD 
> 
> Thank you for reading and supporting the story! :) 
> 
> Japanese words used: 
> 
> Tanomu - Please  
> Nan da to - What did you say?  
> Doshita - What's up?  
> Okashii-naa - That's strange  
> Arigato gozaimasu - Thank you  
> Hai - Yes  
> Deto - Date  
> Ossan - Old man


	16. Meeting the Atobe family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing!
> 
> Also, you will notice a change in how I address Atobe in this chapter. That's because of the appearance of his parents and it got too confusing with so many Atobe's I decided just to use their first names. So from now on, I will address Atobe as Keigo, his mother as Yukiko and his dad as Jurou. Just to let you know. :)

Hari was in her room reading or rather trying to read but her brain was still thinking about her meeting with Atobe and everything they had talked about. She was still reeling over the fact that Atobe was her mum’s godson. What did that mean for her? Did it have to mean anything? 

And…he said that his parents would want to meet her. He hadn’t told them about her yet, but he said he couldn’t hide it from them when he knew just how much they would want to see her and know that she was alright. He had told her that they thought she was dead because they couldn’t find her, which was rather strange. Atobe Yukiko must have known that Lily had a sister, so wouldn’t it be natural to check with Petunia? 

Hari frowned as she thought about that. Something wasn’t right here and she couldn’t help but think that her aunt may have lied and told Yukiko that Hari wasn’t there… but why would she do that? Petunia never hid the fact that she resented having Hari in her home. She told her constantly in fact that Hari was a burden and unwanted. 

She was still brooding over this when the door to her room was opened and Nanjiro stood there panting and looking like he had run a marathon or something as he stared at her. 

“D-Nanjiro?” Hari caught herself in time and called his name and not ‘dad’ like she started to say. 

“Hari-chan!” he gasped. 

“Eh? What is it?” Hari blinked at him. 

“You…you…!” he struggled to say and leaned against the doorway just as Ryoma and Rinko came up behind him. Both having heard him running up the stairs and was obviously curious about what was happening. 

Hari looked at Ryoma who just shrugged telling her that he had no idea what was up now. Rinko was watching her husband with a look that crossed between worried and amused. 

“You tricked me!” Nanjiro exclaimed. 

Ah. Hari knew now what he was on about and she made sure not to let a smile cross her lips as his eyes stared accusingly at her and he waved a hand around wildly. 

“I did?” Hari asked innocently. “When?” 

He narrowed his eyes at her. 

“Now! Today!” he said. “You knew Ryoma wasn’t on a date!” 

Ryoma looked at Hari now with a raised brow while Rinko had lost the worried look and was no just looking amused. 

“He wasn’t?” Hari fought to keep the smile out of her voice and face. “Strange.” 

“How is that strange?” Ryoma asked. 

“Sakuno-chan is such a cute girl,” Hari told him. “You should be out on a date with her, Ryo-chan.” 

He gaped at her. 

“I…you…” he stuttered. “No way!” 

“Why?” Hari tilted her head. “Don’t you think she’s cute, Ryo-chan?” 

He sputtered and blushed slightly but soon caught himself and glared at her while his parents looked at them curiously, Nanjiro even getting distracted. Though, it didn’t last long. 

“Hey!” he exclaimed. “You can’t distract me! You tricked me!” 

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Hari deadpanned. 

“Hari-chan,” Nanjiro whined and Hari rolled her eyes. “Where have you been?” 

“Here and there,” Hari shrugged.

“Did you meet someone?” Nanjiro narrowed his eyes at her. 

Hari sighed and shook her head. 

“I’m trying to read,” Hari said waving her book, “was it anything else?” 

Nanjiro blinked at the subject change and Hari turned away from him and looked back at her book. She hoped he wouldn’t ask anything else. She wasn’t sure she wanted to tell them about Atobe just yet. 

 

_A cruel laughter echoed in her head._

_A scream._

_A flash of green._

_Then – silence…_

Hari jerked up in the bed breathing hard, her hair clinging to her head drenched in sweat. She could feel her chest rising and sinking at a rapid speed as she fought to get control over her breathing as she looked around the room with wide eyes. 

She reached for her glasses and put them on at the same time as she turned on the light next to her bed and her room was partially lit up letting her see clearly. 

She leaned forward and pulled her legs closer to her as she rested her forehead on her knees. The nightmare was not something new. In fact, it was an old one. One she used to have regularly before she started Hogwarts. 

Back then she had not known what it meant. She had thought it had something to do with the so-called car accident that had killed her parents even if she didn’t understand where the laughter or the green light had come from. 

Now, though, she knew the truth. It was that night. The night Voldemort killed her parents. The night he killed her mum. It was her mum she could remember screaming, it was he who laughed. 

She had thought so much about her mum that it had brought her old nightmare back. Hari rubbed her eyes to dry the rebellious tear that had escaped despite her effort to keep it in. When was she going to get over this? She thought angrily. 

She listened. The house was silent. She had not woken anyone up with her nightmare, that was good. She didn’t wish to burden the others with it. It wasn’t their problem.

Getting out of bed she stumbled over to the window and pushed it open and looked out at the night sky. She could barely see the stars but the fresh air against her skin helped calm her down. 

Then something white came closer and she soon recognised Hedwig and smiled slightly as she held out her arm and watched as her owl landed perfectly and somehow jumped up further on her arm to her shoulder and affectionately nibbled at her ear. 

“I’m glad I have you, Hedwig,” Hari mumbled. 

Hedwig hooted comfortingly. 

 

“You look tired, Hari-chan,” Rinko frowned worriedly at her the next morning. “Are you feeling alright?” 

“I’m fine,” Hari smiled even though she had a headache. “Just didn’t sleep that well.” 

Rinko was looking at her with concern and Hari felt both warm and guilty seeing it. She liked that Rinko cared, but she felt guilty that she was burdening the older woman with something so trivial. 

“Do you feel well enough to go to school?” Rinko asked. 

“Of course,” Hari said quickly. 

Rinko nodded but still looked a little worried. Nanjiro looked up from his paper (magazine) and also looked at Hari worriedly. 

“Maybe you should stay home,” he said. “I’ll call the old lady…” 

Hari shook her head trying to ignore how much it hurt. 

“No, I’m fine,” she said again. “You don’t have to worry.” 

She looked down at her food and took a couple of more bites before pushing it away and got up from the table. She missed the worried looks Rinko and Nanjiro gave her. 

Hari thanked them for the food before going back to her room to get ready for school. Just as she got back downstairs and found Ryoma waiting for her. She gave him a look because normally she would be the one waiting for him. Had she been that slow this morning? 

“Ready?” he asked. 

“Yeah.” 

 

Hari laughed watching Momoshiro being chased around the tennis court by a very irate Kaido who was wet. She did feel a little bad about that because… 

“You’re not going to save Momo-sempai?” Ryoma asked looked at her. 

Hari glanced at him with an arched brow. 

“You know since it’s your fault that Kaido-sempai is wet and all?” Ryoma gave her a look. 

“I don’t want Ka-chan to kill me,” Hari shrugged, “besides…this prank was way better.” 

She had made a water balloon and positioned it over the door to the boys’ locker room expecting Momoshiro walking out and therefore being hit by the water balloon. She had not expected the balloon to hold on for a moment longer and not fall down on Momoshiro but on Kaido who had come out a moment later. 

Of course it wasn’t Hari’s intention to let Kaido think Momoshiro had thrown the balloon at him…it just happened and before she could say anything (she was caught trying to stop herself from laughing out loud) Kaido had screamed at Momoshiro and started to chase the laughing boy who then looked confused at being blamed before quickly moving on to scared and running for his life. 

Ryoma shook his head and seemed kind of relieved if Hari read him correctly. She wasn’t stupid, she knew he had noticed her being distracted and clearly not her normal self since this morning with her headache and all, so she knew he was just happy to see her do something again. Oh, and probably hearing her laugh. 

Hari smiled softly at that. She knew Ryoma cared for her and was worried, she hated that he worried but at the same time felt the familiar warmth knowing that he did. She couldn’t explain it very well. 

“Oh,” Kikumaru laughed as he joined them and watched Kaido who had now caught Momoshiro and was wrestling him down on the ground. “Kaido and Momo-chan are having fun, nya.” 

Oishi sighed as he walked past them to try to break up the fight. Hari watched as he was unsuccessfully trying to get Kaido off Momoshiro. 

“Here, Taka-san,” Kikumaru said and Hari turned in time to see Kikumaru hand Kawamura a tennis racket. 

“BURN, BABY!” Kawamura suddenly yelled loudly making Hari blink started. “OI! YOU TWO HOTHEADS BREAK IT UP! BREAK IT UP! BURN!” 

Hari laughed again as she saw Kawamura march over to Kaido and Momoshiro (and ignoring Oishi who was struggling to break the two up) just grabbed the two by their collar and pulled them apart. 

Of course, he dropped the racket doing so and soon calmed down and let go of the two shocked second years who blinked at him. 

“Oh, gomen,” he said softly. “But you shouldn’t fight.” 

“Sugoi,” Hari laughed at the sudden change in Kawamura. 

Being there with Ryoma and the boys who were becoming her friends faster than Hari had thought possible helped her realise that right now she was where she was supposed to be. Atobe had shaken her with the information and the connection to her past, but now watching her chatting friends start to get ready for their tennis practice she realised that it didn’t change anything for her. Sure she would go and see Atobe again and meet his parents just because she knew he wouldn’t let her alone and she was curious about them. But it didn’t have to mean that she would lose this. She would still have Ryoma and her new friends. 

It was a comforting thought and she smiled softly not realising that Fuji was watching her from the side or that Ryoma gave a relieved sigh at the smile. She just walked over and grabbed her racket before jogging over to Nagayama to get ready for practice herself. 

 

Keigo put the phone down and stared out at the large garden that stretched for as far as he could see from the window of the office he had claimed as his. There were more rooms in this house (mansion really) to know what to do with them all so he had a few rooms that were his. Sometimes, like right now it felt too big and he felt alone despite all the servants in the place. 

He looked at the phone and thought that it shouldn’t be necessary to have to tell his parents about Hari over the phone, but since they so frequently were away on business trips he didn’t really see another way to tell them. Not if they didn’t want to wait until whatever time they decided to come back. 

It hadn’t been an easy call to make and Keigo knew his mother had been pained and hopeful at the same time, she had been scared to get her hopes up again. 

_“Honto? Is it…is it really her, Keigo? Lily’s girl?”_

His mother’s tight voice still rang in his mind so full of hope and at the same time showed the pain of all those times she had been disappointed. He had assured her the best he could and she had told him that she and his father would be back later that same day. 

They wanted to meet Hari. 

Now he just had to tell Hari. He picked up the phone again and found her contact information on the phone before pressing the call button and waited for the slightly younger girl to pick up the phone. 

 

“Are you really going to go and meet them?” Ryoma asked her. 

Hari was pacing the floor in her bedroom and glanced over at where Ryoma was seated on the bed. His arms were crossed over his chest and his eyes were following her as she paced. He had a stubborn yet sulky expression on his face. 

“I think so,” Hari said. 

“I don’t see why you should go and meet them,” Ryoma huffed. “Just because they demand it.” 

“They didn’t demand it, Ryo-chan,” Hari said. 

“That’s not what I heard,” he said stubbornly. “That Atobe-guy just told you they wanted to meet you tomorrow. He didn’t even ask you if you wanted to.” 

Hari sighed. She knew she wouldn’t get him to change his mind or think any differently. 

“And you have been stressed out by this entire thing ever since that Atobe-guy talked to you,” Ryoma continued, “just because he is your mum’s godson doesn’t mean he should just come and start to dictate your life! Talk to me this, do that…” 

Ryoma ranted and Hari glanced at him again and saw he was scowling now. 

“Ryo-chan, calm down,” she told him and sat down on the bed beside him. 

Ryoma scoffed and looked away from her. She couldn’t help but think he looked cute like that, all sulky and pouting. She nudged his shoulder. 

“Hey,” she said but he ignored her. 

Hari sighed. 

“Hey,” she said again and this time he glanced at her. “What’s really the problem, Ryo-chan?” 

He stared at her for a moment longer before he looked away again. 

“Who says there’s a problem,” he said petulantly. “I thought you were going to take some time before you decided to see them.” 

Hari nodded. 

“I was,” she said, “but I needed to know.” 

He sighed and glanced at her again. 

“Just…” he paused and looked at her, “kiwotsukete.” 

“I will be careful, Ryo-chan,” Hari promised him. 

 

“You mean to tell me you had him dye his hair blue and white?” An asked incredulously yet amused. 

Hari grinned and nodded, “hai.” 

“Did you take pictures?” An asked eagerly. 

“Jiro-kun sent me one,” Hari nodded and pulled it up on her phone to show An and Sakuno who both laughed. 

Hari had made plans to meet An on Saturday in an effort to distract her thoughts from her meeting with the Atobe family later that day. She had met Sakuno on her way to An's house and invited the younger girl to join them much to the girl's surprise. And that was how they now found themselves chatting in An's room where Hari told them about the bet she had made with Kisarazu Ryo and won. 

“I can’t believe you actually made him do it,” Sakuno giggled. 

“Or that his friends let you,” An added with a giggle. 

Hari just shrugged. 

“It’s not like it was a permanent dye,” she said, “it should wash out in a few washes. Unfortunately.” 

An and Sakuno both laughed harder when they saw the disappointed look on Hari’s face. Hari smiled a little at them and leaned back against the bed she was sitting up against on the floor. 

“I wish I could have seen it,” An said with a longing sigh. 

“Me too,” Sakuno nodded. 

Hari smiled again and fiddled with the phone as she thought about that day. It had been a fun day and she had talked to Saeki on the phone a couple of time since then to discuss her training. She wondered why she felt the butterflies in her stomach just thinking about him. 

“What are you thinking about?” An asked grinning. 

Hari blinked and found the other two girls watching her curiously. 

“Eh?” Hari asked. 

“You’re blushing,” An arched a brow at her. 

“I am?” Hari raised a hand to her cheeks in wonder. She hadn’t been aware of it, but she couldn’t understand why she would be blushing. “Huh.” 

Sakuno and An exchanged looks. 

“So, tell me, Hari-chan,” An started. “What or rather who were you thinking about to blush like that?” 

“No one,” Hari denied. 

“Right,” An rolled her eyes and turned so she was lying on her stomach and gave Hari a look. “We all know that’ a lie, don’t we Sakuno-chan?” 

Sakuno blushed and nodded, “y-yeah!” 

Hari frowned at them. 

“I don’t know what you know,” Hari told them. “I was just thinking about the last time I talked to Jiro-kun.” 

For some reason An smiled even wider and let out a small triumphant sound while Sakuno just smiled shyly at her. It was confusing. 

“What?” Hari asked. “Why are you looking like that?” 

An gave her a disbelieving look, “you like him.” 

Hari looked at her blankly. 

“I like who?” she asked. 

“Seriously?” An asked.

“What?” 

“She’s really that blind,” An muttered in disbelief. 

She sat up and looked at Hari with a more serious look in her eyes and Hari wondered what she was on about. 

“You like this ‘Jiro-kun’,” An said seriously. “Like in like-like.” 

Hari blinked and then frowned. She didn’t like him like that, did she? It wasn’t like Ron who was bickering with Hermione at every turn and got jealous every time she talked to another boy. She didn’t get jealous when Saeki talked to someone who wasn’t her… did she? She didn’t bicker with him, that was for sure. 

“I…” Hari couldn’t find the words. “How do you know…” 

An and Sakuno exchanged looks again and Hari felt stupid and lost. 

“Do you think about him often?” An asked, “want to talk to him? See him?” 

Hari frowned but she nodded, “I guess so.” 

“Do you feel butterflies in your stomach when you think of or talk to him? Want to see him smile and laugh at your jokes?” An continued. 

Hari thought for a moment before she nodded slowly. 

“That’s signs for liking someone,” An told her. 

“Oh,” Hari frowned. “I…didn’t know.” 

An shook her head but smiled now and giggled a little. Sakuno giggled as well as Hari blinked again and felt like she should have realised before that she might like Saeki. She did find him handsome and he was very kind and helpful. 

“Do you have a picture of him?” An asked. 

“No,” Hari shook her head. “I don’t.” 

“Too bad,” An sighed but smiled. “Well, tell us more, Hari-chan. Are you going to tell him?” 

Hari looked horrified at her. 

“No!” Hari said. “He doesn’t like me like that.” 

“How do you know?” Sakuno asked gently. 

“He just doesn’t,” Hari shook her head, “he told his friends that we were just friends and that it wasn’t a date.” 

“Well, he could have just said that because he was worried about what you would think,” Sakuno pointed out. 

“That’s right,” An nodded, “you were there for a lesson and he hadn’t asked you for a date…that’s why he would deny that it was a date. It doesn’t mean that he didn’t want it to be.” 

Hari shook her head. 

“No,” she denied. “He sees me as his friend, or just someone he is teaching tennis.” 

They looked a little disappointed but after a few more tries to get Hari to confess to the older boy they eventually gave up and Hari let out a relieved sigh that they did. She kind of wished she hadn’t gotten a clue on her crush toward Saeki because now everything seemed different and scarier and way more complicated. 

Just why did this whole boy-thing be so complicated? She sighed.

 

Eventually it was time for Hari to leave to go and meet Atobe and his parents. She waved at Sakuno and An as she made her way to the bus stop and was feeling almost relieved to be allowed to escape and get a chance to gather her thoughts. 

One good thing had come from this at least. She had stopped worrying about meeting Atobe and his parents. The bad thing was that now she was worried about what Saeki was thinking about her and if she had made a fool out of herself without even knowing it. 

An had seen so quickly that she liked him, but Hari hadn’t had a clue. Had Saeki seen the same? Did he know and secretly make fun of her because of it? No, she quickly dismissed that thought. He wasn’t that kind of person. If he knew he would overlook it and treat her like he always had. She was sure about that. 

“Argh,” she suddenly said out loud. “Why are boys so complicated?” 

“Are we?” a soft voice asked beside her and she blinked and turned to see a boy seated to her left only two free seats between them watching her. 

She frowned at him and felt embarrassed realising that she had said that out loud and that he had heard her. 

“Obviously,” Hari said with a surprisingly calm voice. 

He smiled. 

“Well, I would argue that girls are more complicated than boys,” he said. 

Hari huffed. 

“That’s just stupid,” she said. 

He arched a brow. 

“Why are boys more complicated, then?” he challenged her. 

“Because they don’t just say what they think and makes girl’s guess about their motivation and thoughts,” Hari told him. 

He hummed and looked like he was thinking about what she said. 

“That could be said about girls too, you know,” he pointed out. 

“Well, maybe,” Hari said annoyed at being corrected. “It doesn’t change the fact that boys are complicated.” 

He laughed and Hari noticed that he had a nice laugh, soft and calming. Actually, she only now took in how he looked. He had wavy navy blue hair that reached his chin and his complexion was fair and would make any girl envious, but what she noticed the most was his eyes. She had never seen such violet eyes before and they were watching her amused. 

“Perhaps,” he gave. “I take it that you are uncomplicated, then?” 

“Of course,” she smirked at him and she saw him blink before his smile widened. “I’m the most uncomplicated girl in the world.” 

“Somehow I don’t believe that,” he said. 

“Why?” Hari asked. 

He just smiled and she rolled her eyes before she noticed the sign on the bus stop they just passed and cursed slightly. 

“Argh,” she muttered. “Shoot.” 

She reached out and pushed the stop button as she got up to her feet. 

“Ah, you’re getting off?” the boy asked. 

“Yeah,” Hari said. 

“Well, hope to see you again, miss uncomplicated girl,” the boy smiled. 

Hari just waved as she made her way forward in the bus to the door and as soon as the bus stopped she got off. 

 

“Ah, gomen,” Hari gasped as she ran up to Keigo who she had spotted just outside what looked like an expensive restaurant. “Got off on the wrong stop.” 

He smiled kind of relieved and nodded. 

“I thought you had changed your mind,” he said. 

Hari shook her head. 

“Sorry,” Hari said again. She did feel nervous and it was kind of becoming clear for her now that she was there. She had managed to avoid thinking about it most of the day, but now… well, it was hitting her fast and hard. 

Would they like her? Would they tell someone where she was? Did she really feel ready? 

“Come on,” Keigo said and held the door open for her. 

“Arigatou,” she said and inhaled deeply before entering the restaurant. 

It was clearly a fancy place with expensive looking furniture and elegantly decorated tables. The waiters were all looking impeccable and proper. 

“Welcome,” a young woman with her light hair pulled back in a tight bun smile in welcome. “Please follow me.” 

Hari glanced at Keigo who followed her without a word and Hari followed him feeling more and more nervous as she walked. 

They arrived at what turned out to be private rooms far too quickly in Hari’s opinion and the host was opening the doors and Keigo turned to look at her because she had stopped. 

She couldn’t do this. Not alone. She needed Ryoma…she couldn’t…

“Hari-chan,” Keigo stepped closer to her and his voice was calm and sure, “it’s alright. My parents just want to see you and get to know you. It’s nothing dangerous, alright?” 

Hari blinked at him before she inhaled deeply again and nodded. 

 

Hari stepped inside the room slightly behind Keigo and barely noticed the table that was set or the chairs or the decoration around the room as her eyes found the two adults standing there, anxiously looking right back at her. 

Hari swallowed as she looked at them. The male was a taller version of his son with the same purple-dark hair and build, but the eyes and tear-mole Atobe clearly had from his mother. 

His mother who was staring at her with one hand to her chest and the other over her mouth and with teary eyes. Hari could tell that this woman, though older, was the same woman she had seen at the photo with her mum. 

“Harriett?” Atobe Yukiko whispered like she had to be sure. 

Hari almost startled at the sound of her full name. No one called her Harriett. She nodded as she watched the woman give a quiet gasp and suddenly moved and Hari hadn’t time to even process that the older woman was moving toward her before she found herself in a hug. 

Hari felt stiff and tense as the woman hugged her, but she awkwardly put her arms around her waist and patted her back slightly. She could feel the soft cries of Atobe Yukiko and she felt slightly overwhelmed by the reaction of the older woman. 

Soon she felt a strong hand on her shoulder and glanced to the side to see that Atobe Jurou had joined them and placed a hand on each of their shoulders in support. He wasn’t crying like his wife, but his eyes did seem a little glassy. 

Hari almost let out a relieved breath (and felt immediately bad about it) when Yukiko pulled away, she didn’t let go of Hari entirely but it was better than being hugged. Hari was not sure what to say or where to look under the searching look from Yukiko. 

Keigo stepped forward then and Hari had almost forgotten that he was there. She saw him smiling slightly as he watched them. 

“Why don’t we sit down?” he asked. 

Hari shot him a grateful look as she now was free from Yukiko’s arms and could take a step back. She fiddled with her fingers trying to calm down and not turn around and run out of the room like she wanted to. 

“Of course,” Jurou nodded. 

 

As they sat there it was clear to Hari where Keigo had gotten his confident and almost intimidating aura from, both his parents radiated with the same thing and all they were doing was sitting down and watching her in silence. Hari wished for someone to speak because she was too unsure to do so herself right now. 

“Harriett,” Yukiko started. 

“Hari,” Hari interrupted and looked at her, “everyone calls me Hari.” 

Yukiko paused and then smiled at her. 

“Hari-chan,” she said as if trying the name out. 

Hari nodded and smiled slightly but it felt odd. She glanced at Keigo who was surprisingly silent and seemed content to sit there just observing things. 

“You look like a perfect mixture of your parents, Hari-chan,” Yukiko said. 

Hari swallowed again feeling the familiar sadness and warmth when someone talked about her parents. 

“So much like Lily,” Yukiko whispered and her eyes seemed to hungrily watch Hari. 

“Well, her face is more like James,” Jurou commented, “Lily’s colours for eyes and hair, but James’ shape.” 

Hari wasn’t sure what to say to that. 

“I’m sorry, Hari-chan,” Jurou apologized. “We seem to have gotten off track here. We haven’t even properly introduced ourselves.” 

“Oh my,” Yukiko gasped like she had just realised this. “I’m Atobe Yukiko.” 

“And I’m Atobe Jurou,” her husband smiled. 

“Nice-nice to meet you,” Hari managed to say. 

“And you,” Yukiko said. “I can’t believe that you’re finally here…” 

“We have looked for you for so long,” Jurou added. “I think our son mentioned that to you.” 

Hari nodded shyly. 

“Let’s order some food,” Keigo interrupted and they nodded and Hari was glad for the interruption as it gave her time to think and just gather herself again. 

 

The food arrived and Hari listened to Yukiko who had started to tell her stories about Lily and Hari was hanging on to every word. She had never heard so much about her mum before, it was strange and exciting to finally get a clearer image of who Lily had been when she was a child and young adult. 

They talked and Hari mostly listened throughout the meal. 

“Hari-chan,” Yukiko started when they had finished eating both the meal and the dessert. 

Hari could tell that this was serious and judging by the looks between Yukiko and Jurou it was something they had prolonged to bring up. She tensed slightly. 

“Keigo told us that you had been adopted,” Jurou said seriously. 

Hari nodded. 

“It was recent?” He followed up with. 

“Yeah,” Hari nodded. “It was.” 

“We…” Yukiko stopped and inhaled before started again. “Where were you before?” 

Hari didn’t answer right away and fisted her hands against her thighs as she considered what to tell them. 

“My aunt Petunia,” Hari finally said. 

“Petunia?” Yukiko repeated shocked. “But…” 

“She didn’t tell you I was with her, did she?” Hari asked already knowing their answer. 

“No, she…” Yukiko frowned. “Why…” 

Hari shrugged, “I don’t know. I was put on their doorstep after mum and dad were…was killed.” 

Jurou was watching her with a pensive look and she could tell he was thinking about what she had said. She now knew that he was a lawyer, a very powerful and high in the rank of lawyer that also owned several companies that was spread all around the world. 

It was honestly a little daunting to sit in front of him like this when she realised just how powerful these people were. Yukiko as well, she had a leading position at their company and also a lawyer. 

“That is strange,” he said. 

Hari just shrugged again. She didn’t really know very much about it just that it was Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall that had left her there after Hagrid brought her to them. 

“Is it because of the magic aspect?” Jurou asked. 

Hari wasn’t sure she should be shocked or not by the fact that they knew, but she did blink and looked between them. 

“It might be,” Hari said slowly. “You know…” 

“Yes, we know about the magic,” Yukiko said. “Lily told me when we were 13 and she had a slip of accidental magic when Petunia pushed her too far. I saw the magic and promised not to tell anyone and she never told anyone that I knew.” 

“Then when we were 18 and she got back from Hogwarts she introduced me to James (she had already met Jurou), they told him about the magic as well,” Yukiko said, “the war was picking up and they thought it was safer for us to know and understand why they had to take certain precautions. James even handled the legal aspects of being an Auror (I think that was what he called it) and had legal forms for us to be allowed to know.”

Hari stared at them shocked. 

“Dad…dad was an Auror?” she asked surprised. 

“Yes,” Jurou nodded. “Along with that friend of his, Sirius Black. Of course, he was then…” 

“Sirius was too?” Hari asked before she could stop herself. 

Jurou gave her a look and Hari realised that she had asked about someone they believed was a killer even in the muggle world. She cursed herself quietly at her slip. 

“Yes, he was,” Jurou confirmed a little suspiciously as he looked at her. “That was before he was convicted of killing 13 people.” 

Hari gritted her teeth to stop herself from arguing that he was innocent. She had seen how well that went last time. She could not risk revealing that she had been in contact with Sirius. 

“Oh,” Hari said, “there wasn’t anything written about that…” 

She knew it was a poor excuse to use, to pretend that she had just read about him in the papers but at the same time they had no reason to think that she hadn’t. She saw the suspicion fall away from Jurou’s eyes and he nodded. 

“I see,” he said, “well, anyway, we know about magic.” 

Hari leaned back in her seat. That might change some things… she swallowed again. 

“Ehm, are you in touch with anyone from the magical world?” Hari asked quietly. “Especially from the British Magical world?” 

“No,” Yukiko said and exchanged a look with her husband. “Why?” 

Hari felt relieved and hoped that she could trust that they told the truth. Right now she had no reason to believe they were lying. 

“Hari-chan?” Jurou asked. “Why did you ask that?” 

“Does anyone know that you are here?” Yukiko asked. 

Hari grimaced. 

“I take that as a no,” Jurou said. 

Hari sighed. 

“I kind of ran away?” Hari said, “well, aunt Petunia gave me permission to go and they signed away their custody of me to Rinko and Nanjiro, so it’s perfectly legal that I’m here. I just…didn’t tell anyone in the Magical World where I went when I resigned from Hogwarts.” 

“You resigned from Hogwarts?” Yukiko asked. “Why? Lily and James only had great things to say about that school.” 

Hari refused to say anything so she just looked away with a huff and made it clear that she wasn’t talking about that. She had no interest in going into details about what had happened there with someone she had just met even if they knew her parents. 

She had already said too much. She frowned as she realised that and glanced at the clock. 

“Bugger,” she said as her eyes went wide. “I’m late.” 

The Atobe’s all looked at the time and seemed as surprised as her that it had gotten that late. 

“I have to go,” Hari said. “I should be home really soon and…” 

“It’s alright,” Yukiko said getting up as Hari got to her feet. “We’ll have a car drive you home.” 

“Oh, I…” Hari started. 

“It’s no problem, Hari-chan,” Jurou said, “that way we know you get back safely.” 

“Alright,” Hari agreed just because she knew she would be even later back if she had to take the bus. 

“It was very nice to finally meet you, Hari-chan,” Yukiko said and hugged her again this time quicker much to Hari’s relief. “I hope we get to meet you again soon. Here.” 

She put a piece of paper in Hari’s hands. 

“It’s our contact information,” she said, “please, call us if you need anything, ok?” 

Hari nodded. 

“Ok,” she agreed. “Thank you.” 

 

“Where have you been?” Rinko asked as soon as Hari stepped into the house. 

Hari winced as it was clear that she had been worried and she saw Nanjiro hovering right behind his wife and looked at Hari with a concerned look as well. 

“I’m sorry,” Hari said, “I lost track of time.” 

“Where were you?” Rinko asked again and Hari bit down on her lip as Ryoma came down the stairs having heard her. 

“I…” Hari started and looked at Ryoma. He shrugged. “I have something to tell you.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? 
> 
> Anyone notice who showed up? XD Hehe. 
> 
> Thank you for reading and supporting the story! :) 
> 
> Japanese words used:  
> Gomen - Sorry  
> Sugoi - Amazing  
> Honto - Really  
> Kiwotsukete - Be careful  
> Hai - Yes  
> Arigatou - Thank you


	17. Belonging - part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing!  
> ...  
> ...  
>  **"Parsletongue"**

They were silent after Hari had stopped talking and she resisted the need to shift in her seat or fidget with the hem of her shirt. She could tell they were trying to process what she had told them and she wondered if she had made a mistake telling them. What if they didn’t want her anymore? 

“They knew your parents?” Rinko asked looking a little stunned. Hari realised that she probably knew who the Atobe’s were because of her own job as a lawyer. 

“Yeah,” Hari nodded, “Atobe Yukiko was mum’s best friend.” 

“And you met them?” 

“Yes.” 

“Today?” 

“Yes.” 

Hari felt uncomfortable under the stares from Rinko, Nanjiro and Nanako while Ryoma sat slouched back with his arms crossed over his chest and glowered at the floor. 

“Oh, sweetie, you should have told us and we would have helped you through it,” Rinko suddenly exclaimed and pulled a stunned Hari into a hug. 

Hari leaned into Rinko letting the older woman’s warmth comfort her and in comparison to the hug she had received from Yukiko earlier that night this felt easier and more natural to Hari. She savoured the feeling she got in Rinko’s arms and for the first time allowed herself to breathe more freely. 

“Why didn’t you come to us, Hari-chan?” Rinko eventually asked.

“I didn’t want to bother you,” Hari mumbled not looking up at them. She tried not to let her embarrassment show, but Rinko seemed to have seen it anyway as she reached out and popped Hari’s chin up. 

“Hari-chan,” she said seriously. “We have adopted you. That means that we are your guardians and we want to know these things. We want to be here to help you.” 

Hari blinked and Rinko sighed. 

“I know you’re not used to it,” Rinko said before muttering something that sounded very much like “idiotic Dursley’s” before she continued, “but I want you to remember that when you have problems or need to talk then you can come to any of us, ok?” 

Hari could only nod because her throat suddenly felt really thick and there seemed to be something in her eyes. 

“What do they want from you?” Nanjiro suddenly asked. His tone was abrupt and harsher than Rinko’s making Hari’s head snap up to look at him. He was scowling and looked rather similar to Ryoma who was still glowering at the floor. 

“Nanjiro,” Rinko frowned at her husband. 

“No,” he stopped her, “I want to know what they want from you.” 

“I…I don’t know,” Hari said. “They said they just want to get to know me…because of mum and dad… I think…I think I was meant to live with them if…if something happened to mum and dad…” 

And Sirius, Hari added in her mind. 

“So they’ll try to take you from us?” Nanjiro asked with narrowed eyes. 

Hari flinched back. She hadn’t thought about that. The silence that spread around the room indicated that they hadn’t thought about that either. 

“No,” Ryoma snapped. “They can’t come and take Hari-chan from us…can they?” 

Hari glanced up at Rinko who looked pensive but she shook her head. 

“No, the adoption has gone through,” she said, “Hari-chan is ours now.” 

“They better know that!” Nanjiro snapped before he turned abruptly and marched out of the room and they could hear the door slamming closed behind him. 

Hari was shocked by the actions from Nanjiro. The normally carefree and happy-go-lucky man was not the one Hari had expected to be angry. Not like this. She looked down and felt guilty and worry filled her. 

“He’ll calm down,” Rinko said after a few tense seconds and patted Hari’s shoulder. “Just give him some time.” 

Hari nodded but didn’t speak. She got up and walked to her room. 

 

Hari was still worried the next morning and felt her stomach sink when she didn’t see Nanjiro in the kitchen when she got down for breakfast. Nanako smiled at her and put her food in front of her with a comforting pat on the shoulder. 

Ryoma soon dragged himself into the kitchen and dumped down at the chair looking half-awake. Hari noticed that he didn’t seem concerned by the lack of any of his parents in the kitchen. 

“Oi!” A voice outside suddenly called. “Echizen! Hari-chan!” 

“Momo-sempai,” Ryoma muttered and shoved the rest of his toast in his mouth and stood up. 

Hari had already finished and had grabbed her bag and was now waiting for her little brother by the door. 

“Good morning!” Momoshiro grinned at them as he stood with one foot on the bike-pedal and the other on the ground. 

“Morning,” Hari and Ryoma murmured. 

“What have you in such a bad mood?” Momoshiro asked.

Hari just shrugged and glanced toward the temple wondering if Nanjiro was over there. She looked away and started to walk to school with the two boys. Momoshiro was like always chatting cheerfully and managed to bring them out of their bad mood. Hari really liked that about Momoshiro. 

 

**“Pretty ugly duckling,”** Kaido hissed and Hari had to work hard not to burst out laughing in the classroom. The class was still there and she couldn’t keep bursting out in laughter every time Kaido hissed. 

“Ka-chan,” Hari grinned at him and felt in a better mood again seeing the boy who had become one of her friends at this school. 

“Hari-chan,” he nodded. 

Hari couldn’t help but notice some of the girls that were closer to them send Kaido a curious look like they hadn’t believed he would address anyone with –chan. Hari rolled her eyes and just smiled when he frowned at her making the same girls hurry away from him. 

“Do you want to go for a run with me, Ka-chan?” Hari asked him. 

Hari saw the surprised look that crossed his face before he scowled. 

“Ok,” he said. 

“After practice today?” Hari asked. 

He nodded and Hari smiled. That’s was when the teacher for the next class arrived and Hari walked over to her seat and noticed Momoshiro who was leaned forward on his desk with his eyes closed and she smiled a little before she reached for a sticker from her bag and quickly scribbled something on it and placed it on his back before getting into her own seat. 

“Okay, settle down,” the teacher called and Momoshiro woke with a small snort and cringed when the teacher levelled a stern look at him. 

 

Hari had changed and done her warm up when she noticed that Ryoma was playing against Kaido. She paused beside Sakuno and Tomoka to watch. She wondered how the game would go this time. 

“Ryoma-sama!” Tomoka cheered loudly. 

Hari winced slightly and rubbed her ear as she glanced at the loud girl. 

“Huh,” Hari said when she saw the move Ryoma used against Kaido. It was his own snake move and Hari could only guess what Kaido was thinking right now as he stared at Ryoma. 

“Snake?” Sakuno and Tomoka said together. 

“Snake…” Kikumaru said. 

“How did he…” Kawamura wondered. 

Hari tuned them out as she watched. Ryoma always proved to take new steps and evolve as he played, it was with such a speed that she found it difficult to even try to hang on and catch up to him. 

“Poor Ka-chan,” Hari murmured.

“Eh?” Sakuno asked and Hari realised that she had said it out loud and both girls plus the journalists were watching her now. 

“Why did you say that, Hari-chan?” Tomoka asked curiously. 

“He must be thrown by having his own move used against him like that,” Hari explained. “It can’t be easy to have someone do it and get it right on his first try…” 

“That’s a good point,” Inoue said. 

Hari just shrugged and watched Kaido who was watching Ryoma with a focused look on his face. She could only imagine what he was thinking. 

Hari turned to go back to her own training. If she was going to get better then she couldn’t just drop her own practice to watch Ryoma even if it was tempting. She caught sight of Tezuka standing by himself and she stilled. It wasn’t really the sight of him by himself that had her pausing to watch him, but the look on his face. He looked…determined and he was staring at Ryoma. 

She frowned. Why did he look at Ryoma like that? 

 

Hari looked for Ryoma when she had finished her practice and before she was going to go running with Kaido. She wanted to tell him that she would be late. She rounded a corner and stopped abruptly when she saw Tezuka and Ryoma a few feet in front of her. She saw Tezuka toss a tennis ball at Ryoma, but she couldn’t hear what they were saying. Soon Tezuka walked away leaving Ryoma standing there still staring at the tennis ball in his hand. 

What was that about? Why the secret meeting? She wanted to go and ask Ryoma, but before she could make up her mind to do so he walked away and she didn’t follow. Instead she turned and walked to the front and saw Kaido standing there waiting for her. 

“You look serious, Kaido,” Fuji spoke up as he reached Kaido just before Hari made her way to them. 

**“The stupid voice writes the loss,”** he hissed. 

Fuji just smiled and looked at Hari who reached them. 

“Oh…are you going to join Kaido’s training?” Fuji asked. 

“Hai,” Hari nodded. “I asked him to join me.” 

“Is that so?” 

“Yes, is that’s a problem?” Hari asked him. 

“Saa,” he smiled. 

Hari rolled her eyes at him. 

“You know,” Fuji said looking amused. “Not many people roll their eyes at me.” 

“Stupid people, then,” Hari said. 

Fuji laughed. 

“Interesting girl,” he commented before started to walk toward the locker room again but he stopped when Momoshiro rushed out and looked around wildly before spotting Hari and start toward her. His face was angry and he was clutching something in his hand. 

Hari noticed that Kikumaru and Kawamura along with Inui followed behind at a slower pace but still looking curious. She also noticed that Ryoma rounded the corner and seemed confused at the seeing almost the entire team still there. 

“Uh-oh,” Hari mumbled. 

Fuji looked at her but she ignored him. 

“Hari-chan!” Momoshiro yelled effectively getting the attention of everyone close by.

“Yeah, Momo-chan?” Hari asked as innocently as she could manage. 

“What’s this?” he demanded and waved his hand that was clutching a piece of paper. 

Hari knew what it must be but she wasn’t going to tell him that. 

“It looks like a piece of paper,” Hari said managing to get her voice to sound curious. 

“You know perfectly well that it is a piece of paper!” Momoshiro said. 

“Oh?” Hari asked and took a small step back and closer to Kaido who glanced at her. 

“Do you know where I found it?” Momoshiro asked. 

“Should I?” Hari managed to look puzzled. 

“You should! You were the one to put it on my back!” Momoshiro said. “Who else would think a note that says: Just call me Sleeping Beauty!” 

Hari smiled and noticed that Fuji looked amused but she kept her eye on Momoshiro who was scowling at her. 

“Well…” Hari said with a small laugh.

“Do you know how confused I’ve been when people have called me sleeping beauty all day?” Momoshiro asked. 

“You probably should have known there was a note on your back,” Kaido spoke up. 

“You knew, Viper?!” Momoshiro yelled. 

“Well, I couldn’t resist when you slept away both the class and the break,” Hari said and Momoshiro looked at her. “You do look cute when you sleep.” 

Hari couldn’t keep the teasing note out of her voice when she said it and laughed when she saw him turn red and then scowl, but she saw a note of amusement in his eyes as well even as he tried to hide it. 

“Run,” he said. 

“Eep,” Hari squeaked and grabbed Kaido’s arm. “Come on, Ka-chan. I think it’s time for our run now!” 

 

Fuji shook his head as he watched Hari run away with Kaido close behind her and with Momoshiro following. He knew Momoshiro would soon give up because he didn’t want to go out running once more, but it was an amusing sight. 

“She seems lively,” Fuji commented. 

Ryoma glanced at him before looking away again. 

“You think so?” Ryoma asked. 

Fuji frowned and Ryoma knew he was watching him, but he didn’t elaborate and Fuji didn’t press it.

“Why does she always prank Momo-chan?” Kikumaru asked joining them. “I thought she liked him.” 

“Saa,” Fuji shrugged and glanced at Ryoma. 

“She does,” Ryoma said when he got tired of them looking at him. 

“Then why?” Kawamura who also looked curious. 

Ryoma sighed. 

“You’d have to ask her,” he said. 

“But you have an idea?” Fuji said. 

“Well, he is an easy target,” Ryoma said, “and Hari knows he can take her pranks well and isn’t offended by it.” 

Fuji arched a brow.

“So, you mean she does it because he won’t think she’s bullying him?” he asked. 

“That’s my guess,” Ryoma said before shrugging and walked away without saying anything else. 

No one said anything for a moment before Kikumaru laughed. 

“An interesting girl,” Fuji smiled slightly. 

 

Hari sank down on a bench along the river and tried to catch her breath. She glanced to the side to see Kaido jogging in place watching her. 

“How can you still be going?” she asked wheezing. 

He stared at her for a moment before he shrugged. 

“You’re not human,” Hari whined when he grabbed her arm and dragged her back to her feet. She ignored the glare he sent her.

She followed him as he started to run again and she tried to pretend that her breath didn’t come out in harsh pants or that her chest felt like it was burning along with the muscles in her legs. Gargoyle’s, she was sure she felt pain in places she wasn’t even aware that she had! 

They ran through the park again and she sent a tired glare at the sun that burning in the sky and not caring that she was becoming overly hot, but she pushed on. She was not going to give up because she was going to get better. She was going to become the best she could be. 

She had to. She had to prove to Nanjiro that she would belong with them and that she wasn’t going to go anywhere else. 

“Enough,” Kaido said when they reached the school again. It was almost abandoned now, only a stray student was seen making their exits from the school. 

Hari collapsed on the ground in front of the locker room and decided that it was a good place to sleep, really. It wasn’t like she really needed to go anywhere. 

Kaido was drinking from the water taps close by and Hari could hear him move but she didn’t open her eyes. 

“Here,” he grunted and she forced her eyes open and saw a bottle filled with water hanging above her. 

With a force of effort she reached up and grabbed it. She fumbled with the cork before she got it opened and poured it over her face enjoying in the freshness it gave her. 

“You’re weird,” Kaido commented. 

“So are you,” Hari said. 

Kaido gave a small laugh and Hari smirked at him and wondered if anyone really saw the humour that was hidden in him. 

 

“Where is Hari-chan?” Nanjiro asked as he glanced over at Ryoma who was sitting quietly and was staring unseeingly in front of himself. He had done that since he had gotten home from school. “Didn’t you walk home together?” 

He flipped through the channels on the television not really paying attention to anything on it. 

“She’s running with a friend,” Ryoma answered distractedly. 

“Running?” Nanjiro frowned. “What friend?” 

“Someone from the team;” Ryoma said impatiently as he got to his feet. He walked to the door. 

“Wait! A boy?!” Nanjiro yelled but Ryoma ignored him. 

Nanjiro sat up and glared after Ryoma, he could hear his footsteps up the stairs. 

“I wonder what’s up with him,” Rinko commented as she looked after her son as well. Nanako nodded.

“He’s been distracted since he came back from school,” she said. 

Nanjiro scowled. 

“Oh, what now, dear?” Rinko asked seeing his expression. 

“Hari-chan isn’t home yet,” he said. 

“Didn’t Ryoma said that she was out running with a friend from the team?” Nanako asked. 

“A boy,” Nanjiro scoffed. 

Rinko sighed and shook her head, “she’s on a boys’ team, dear. That means that she will make friends with them. You know Ryoma trusts them, so I’m sure they’re alright.” 

“Still not good enough for Hari-chan,” Nanjiro muttered. “I’m going out.”

“Don’t go looking for her, Nanjiro!” Rinko called after him, but he ignored her. 

 

Hari was walking or more like wobbling up to the house when she suddenly stopped and blinked because someone tall had just appeared in front of her. 

“Nanjiro!” Hari gasped. “You scared me.” 

“Where is he?” Nanjiro demanded. 

“Who?” Hari frowned. 

“The friend you went running with?” Nanjiro said. 

“Ka-chan?” Hari blinked more confused than she should be but she blamed exhaustion on that, “he went home…” 

“He didn’t even escort you home?” Nanjiro asked scowling. 

“Why should he?” Hari frowned, “it wasn’t a date and I can look out for myself.” 

She yawned and rubbed her eyes making Nanjiro’s expression to soften slightly. 

“Are you okay?” he asked. 

“Sure,” she yawned. “Just tired…” 

Nanjiro nodded and held out his arm which Hari grabbed and they walked the last part of the way together. Hari smiled slightly because she had worried that Nanjiro would be upset with her, he hadn’t really been around since she had told them about the Atobe’s. So it was a relief to find him looking for her because he was clearly not upset with her like she thought. 

 

The next day Hari was feeling more tired and her muscles were protesting the workout, but she ignored it as she made her way through the school. 

“You still like to think you’re part of them, don’t you?” a sneering voice asked. 

Hari looked to the side and saw Ueda and Yamamato from the girls’ tennis team. She sighed and turned to walk past them without saying anything. 

“You’re nothing special, you know,” Yamamato said. 

Hari was forced to stop when they got in her way and blocked her way. She just arched a brow unimpressed as she stared at them. Still, she wasn’t saying anything. 

“You think you belong here when you come and break up our team,” Ueda sneered and raised a hand to poke at Hari’s shoulder, but Hari read what she was going to do so she caught the hand before she could and held it still. 

“Let go of me!” Ueda snapped. 

Hari squeezed slightly before she let go of the wrist. Ueda grabbed it with her other hand and rubbed it slightly. 

“It’s your fault Yoshida decided to quit,” Yamamato said when Ueda kept quiet and was just glaring at Hari. “She loved tennis more than anyone and you made her quit!” 

Hari rolled her eyes at their stupidity and refused to say anything. They both tried to look threatening, scary or whatever, but Hari couldn’t help but think that this was nothing to the schoolyard confrontations she had gone through back at Hogwarts. 

“Are you done?” Hari asked quietly when they had stood there glaring for a moment longer. 

They looked rather startled at not being taken more seriously or getting a reaction from Hari. Hari sighed and stepped past them again and walked away, this time they didn’t try to stop her. She wondered if they would continue to do this. It would be bothersome if they did… 

 

“Ah,” Hari blinked as she rounded a corner and was once more blocked. This time it wasn’t on purpose though as Yoshida suddenly was in front of her. 

“Lost again?” Yoshida asked after a moment. 

“No,” Hari said. 

Yoshida didn’t look like she believed her and Hari huffed and pulled the strap of her bag longer upon her shoulder. Yoshida looked like she wanted to say something, but nothing came out of her mouth as she opened and closed it. 

Hari glanced at the time. She would be late if she didn’t hurry up, but there was something that told her that she should stay for a moment longer. 

“So…how are you, Yoshida-san?” Hari finally asked. 

“Fine,” Yoshida said quickly. “I’m fine.” 

“That’s good,” Hari said. 

“I thought about what you said,” Yoshida said. 

“Eh?” Hari looked confused. 

“About finding a new way to stay involved with tennis if…if I really liked tennis,” Yoshida explained and Hari remembered the conversation they’d had a while ago. 

“Oh, yeah,” Hari nodded. “So?” 

“I want to be a manager,” Yoshida said. “That way I can get my love for tennis back. At least that’s what I think…” 

Hari looked at her and could see that Yoshida had thought about this and she looked a little unsure but that was more because she was worried about how Hari would react. Hari wasn’t sure why her reaction meant anything to the other girl, but the look in her eyes and the way she bit down on her lip told Hari enough. 

“That’s a good idea,” Hari nodded. “Have you talked to Ryuzaki-sensei about it yet?” 

Yoshida shook her head. 

“Then what are you waiting for?” Hari asked and grabbed Yoshida’s hand and started to pull her in the direction she thought the court was in. 

“Where are we going?” Yoshida asked. 

“The courts, of course!” Hari said. 

“Um…that’s in the other direction, Echizen-san,” Yoshida said exasperatedly. 

Hari stopped abruptly and turned around before she started to walk again. 

“Why are we going there?” Yoshida asked but Hari ignored her. 

 

They found that the practice had already started when they reached the courts and Hari saw Tezuka standing with Ryuzaki, they were talking about something, but Hari ignored that and walked up to them either way still pulling Yoshida with her. 

“Hari-san,” Tezuka nodded sombrely and Hari wondered if he ever smiled. 

“Hari-chan,” Ryuzaki smiled. “You’re late.” 

“Gomen,” Hari let go of Yoshida’s hand and looked from her to the coach and captain. “I just ran into Yoshida-san and I think you should make her the manager for the team.” 

The bluntness startled all of them but she saw the considering look on Tezuka’s face. 

“Echizen-san!” Yoshida gasped. 

“What?” Hari looked at her. “You want to be a manager, and we need one. I know Inui-sempai is acting as a manager right now, but he still wants to be a regular again and I’m sure that he could use the help.” 

They stared at her and Hari just waited for them to say something. 

“That’s a good point,” Ryuzaki finally said and looked at Yoshida. “Is this something you could consider doing, Yoshida-san?”

Yoshida blinked at her before looking over at Hari. Hari just smiled and waited for the other girl to say something. 

“I…Yeah,” Yoshida said. 

“Then you’re the manager for the boys’ team;” Ryuzaki said. 

 

Hari watched as Yoshida talked with Inui and smiled a little amused as she noticed how engrossed they got as they talked, hands waving and almost hitting a poor passing first year. 

“Good call, Hari-san,” Tezuka said.

Hari glanced at him and smiled slightly. 

“Are you okay?” she asked. 

He looked at her and she thought he might look a little surprised by her question. 

“Yes,” he said. “How are you settling in? I’ve noticed that you’ve taken several steps in your game, Hari-san.” 

“I like it here,” Hari said, “and I do think I’ve gotten better.” 

He nodded. 

“I want to have another test for you soon,” he said. 

“Test?” Hari asked pushing back her nerves. 

“Nothing bad,” he assured her, “it’s not to kick you out or anything like that.” 

She let a small sigh of relief slip out and didn’t really care that he seemed to have seen her worry. 

“Then why?” she asked. 

“Just to see how much you have grown,” Tezuka said pushing up his glasses as he looked at her sharply. 

“And who will I be playing?” Hari asked. 

“That will be decided,” Tezuka said. 

Hari nodded and watched as Tezuka walked away and furrowed her brows as she thought. She believed he meant it when he said that she wouldn’t be kicked off the team if she didn’t win, but still… she felt nervous about the test he talked about. Just what was it he was looking for? 

Okay, so yeah he said it was to see how much she had grown, but did he really need a special test for that? Couldn’t he just watch her now? But, maybe he was looking for something specific. 

 

Ryoma sighed as he watched his father catch his latest serve in his mouth and jump up and down waving with his arms and acting like a fool. He could hear his mumbled exclamations and Ryoma let out another deep sigh. 

“This is stupid,” he said and turned to walk away. He couldn’t deal with this right now; he had to get ready to play Tezuka. He realised that he had never actually seen Tezuka play tennis and Ryuzaki’s warning that he was like Nanjiro had him excited yet slightly apprehensive about it. 

He had reached the gate when he turned around to give his father one last glance before he frowned slightly. So, yeah, Ryoma was the first to say that his father was an immature man who never seemed to grow up. He was more likely to joke and tease than to actually offer any wise advice, but now…he was not really acting like himself. It seemed forced. 

Nanjiro had spat out the ball and turned toward the large bell and Ryoma could tell that he seemed to deflate; the taken carefree attitude disappeared when he believed he wasn’t watched. 

Had he really taken what Hari said that hard? Ryoma didn’t like it any better, he worried she might decide to leave but he wasn’t sure what to think that his dad also seemed to be that worried. Did that mean that the chance for her leaving was that much higher? 

Ryoma knew that Nanjiro really loved Hari. Hari was impossible not to love, Ryoma knew that. She was kind, had the kind of humour Nanjiro loved, and not to mention that she could handle him better than anyone else. So, the idea of Hari being connected to someone else was scary. Someone who was connected to her parents. 

Ryoma wasn’t sure what Nanjiro was thinking, but he was sure that he like himself had been reminded that Hari hadn’t always belonged to them despite it seemed like she had been in their family forever. 

 

“What’s up with you lately?” Hari asked as she dumped down on Ryoma’s bed. He looked up at her before he looked back again. 

“Who says something is up with me?” he answered. 

“Because you just answered me with a question,” Hari turned to him more fully now and frowned. “Does it have anything to do with Tezuka-captain?” 

Ryoma’s eyes widened a little and he looked up at her surprised. 

“I’m right,” Hari murmured. 

“How do you know…” 

“I saw you talking to Tezuka a couple of days ago,” Hari said, “I don’t know what he said, but you’ve been distracted ever since.” 

“I’m not distracted,” Ryoma protested. 

“Horio told me you didn’t participate during gym and just sat there staring into space,” Hari said. “Also, you’ve kept to yourself during practice doing repetitive exercises like you’re preparing for something.” 

He scoffed. 

“Fine,” he said. “He told me to meet him tomorrow, actually, and play a match with him.” 

“You’re going to play Tezuka-captain?” Hari asked. 

Ryoma nodded. 

“Ryuzaki-sensei told me he was similar to Oyaji,” Ryoma said. 

Hari nodded looking thoughtful. Ryoma would be a little apprehensive of that, but knowing him the way she did also let her see the anticipation he felt and she knew he really wanted to win. 

“I’ve never seen Tezuka-captain play before,” Hari commented. 

“Me neither,” Ryoma said. 

“Why the secrecy?” Hari asked after a moment. 

“I have no idea,” Ryoma said. “All I know is that he told me to come alone.” 

Hari frowned, “so that means I can’t come and watch you.” 

Ryoma shook his head and fell back on his bed again.

 

“We’re missing some people,” Mizuno commented as he looked around the courts where the tennis team was gathered. 

“Ryoma-kun isn’t here either,” Kachiro said. 

“Man, what’s wrong with that guy?!” Horio complained loudly. 

Hari ignored them as she passed them and tried to not think about what was going on right now. She wondered if Ryoma had started to play against Tezuka yet. 

She was aware that the others also noticed the absence of Tezuka, Ryoma and surprisingly Oishi. Had Oishi gone to watch the match? She wished she could have done that, but Ryoma hadn’t wanted to go against Tezuka’s order. Hari had to respect that, so she had gone to practice like normal. 

“Ochibi-chan is late as well,” Kikumaru said. “What are they doing?” 

“Echizen called in sick,” Ryuzaki interrupted. 

Hari hid her frown as she looked at the coach. 

“He’s sick?” Momoshiro asked glancing over at Hari before looking back at Ryuzaki. 

“Captain?” 

“Sick.” 

“Oishi?” 

“…sick.” 

Hari almost snorted. She could have come up with better excuses, especially since they had all been seen earlier that day at school and none of them had looked sick. 

“Seems like there’s a conspiracy going on here,” Inui commented stepping up behind them along with Yoshida who looked curiously around. 

“What kind of conspiracy would involve tennis?” Fuji asked. 

“Something like crushing the thorn in your eye?” Kaido asked. 

“I don’t think we can be calm about this,” Fuji said. “Hari-chan? Do you know what’s going on?” 

Hari had waited for them to turn to her and she kept her face blank as she shrugged. 

“I don’t know why they would lie about being sick,” Hari said glancing at Ryuzaki. 

“Don’t worry about other people!” Ryuzaki interrupted. “You have a lot of work to do.” 

They agreed and turned back to the practice. 

“So, they’re sick, eh?” Hari asked looking at Ryuzaki. 

“I take it your brother told you what he was doing today,” Ryuzaki asked. 

“Hai,” Hari nodded. “When I asked him. Do you know why Tezuka-captain wanted to play against him?” 

Ryuzaki gave her a look before she looked away and over at the team practice. 

“He’s had some concerns about Ryoma’s aspirations and the reason for why he plays tennis,” Ryuzaki said. 

“Eh?” Hari frowned. “Ryo-chan plays to beat Nanjiro.” 

Ryuzaki nodded and had a pensive look on her face. 

“What’s wrong with that?” Hari demanded, starting to feel annoyed. She didn’t like the thought of anyone questioning Ryoma’s reasons for playing tennis, not when he had been the one to bring her into the game. 

“Nothing,” Ryuzaki assured her kindly. “Hari-chan, no one is saying it is wrong. Tezuka is only concerned that Ryoma gets too similar to Nanjiro and will just be his copy. He wants to show Ryoma that there are other good players out there and that Ryoma should also focus on them and not just his dad.” 

Hari frowned in thought and she had to admit that it was a good point. She sighed and nodded. 

 

Hari decided to go look for Ryoma as soon as the practice was over, she wanted to see how it had gone and maybe they would still be playing. It wouldn’t hurt to just see the end of the match, would it? They didn’t even have to know that she’d been there. 

Only problem was…she was lost. 

Not only that, but she wasn’t even in Tokyo anymore. How could she have done this again? She had taken the train after school, thinking she could speed up the time spent getting to the court she knew Ryoma and Tezuka was using. That way she could catch the last part of the game. 

A good plan, really. Hari had not seen any problems with it. So she got on a train and then she sat down and stared out of the window and…fallen asleep. 

And now…she was in a place she had no idea where was. She had gotten off the train realising that she had stayed on for too long, but she hadn’t realised that she had travelled out of the city. 

Rinko and Nanjiro were going to kill her. This shouldn’t have happened again! She had been told to pay attention when she used the trains. She should have learned her lesson when she ended up in Chiba last time, but now she wasn’t even in Chiba. 

So, where was she? 

She looked around for a sign and walked past the crowded station, people were hurrying past her not paying her any attention. But that was just fine for her. 

She eventually found a large sign reading: 

Yokohama, Kanagawa

Hari sighed and pulled a hand through her hair exasperatedly. It was official. She was a lost cause. She was so going to be grounded forever and never be allowed outside again. Not that she could blame them. 

She kicked at the nearby bench and let out a small curse. 

“What’s that bench done to you, miss uncomplicated girl?” 

Hari jumped at the soft voice and realised with a stab of horror that someone had been sitting on the bench and she hadn’t seen him. She recognised him as the boy she had met on the bus before she had met Yukiko and Jurou. 

“Oh,” she blushed. “Gomen. I didn’t see you.” 

“I think I got that,” he smiled lightly at her. “At least I hope you didn’t mean to kick the bench I was sitting on.” 

He was amused and Hari relaxed a little seeing that. She smiled sheepishly at him and pushed a rebellious strand of hair back behind her ear as she looked at him. He got up and she noticed that he was fairly tall, but not as tall as Tezuka if she would guess. Some might make the mistake and think he looked frail and weak, but she knew he was anything but. The sharpness and intelligence that shone in his eyes was proof enough for her to know that he was stronger than most would guess. 

“You got me, I was purposely kicking the bench because I knew you were sitting there,” she said as serious she could manage. 

He laughed and his violet-blue eyes seemed to shine in amusement but she could see some shadows hidden in them. 

“Then I guess I should be offended,” he said. 

Hari shrugged. 

“I was wondering if I would see you again,” he said changing the subject and Hari blinked at him. “I was wondering if you had found a solution to your problem with complicated boys.” 

Hari snorted. 

“No, boys’ are still complicated,” Hari said. 

She hadn’t really thought that much about Saeki lately and she guessed that the meeting with Keigo and his parents had pushed the thoughts out of her head, and then there had been a lot going on with practice and worry about Nanjiro… so, yeah thoughts about Saeki had been pushed out. 

“I see,” he said. “I guess I should apologize.” 

Hari snorted. 

“Yukimura Seiichi, yoroshiku,” the boy suddenly said and Hari looked at him again. He smiled gently at her and it was a kindness around him that had her immediately smile back, she could tell from his eyes that he was not unfamiliar with pain. Though, the kindness was genuine and warm. 

“Echizen Hari,” she said. “Yoroshiku.” 

They fell silent for a moment and Hari wondered if she should excuse herself and go and look for the train back to Tokyo because she knew she shouldn’t try to leave the station. She didn’t want to admit it, but she would probably get lost. 

“You didn’t tell me what the bench had done to you, Echizen-san,” he spoke up. 

Much to Hari’s surprise he seemed inclined to continue talking to her. 

“Well,” Hari blushed again feeling silly and she met his eyes and suddenly her mouth felt a little dry. Before she could find the words that seemed to temporarily vacate her much to her confusion because all she had was look up and meet his eyes, a boy that was ridiculously tall with short dark hair and a dark cap that shadowed his face came up to them. 

“Ah, Genichiro,” Seiichi said. “You’re back.” 

“Hai,” he nodded.

“Echizen, this is my friend, Sanada Genichiro,” Seiichi introduced. “Genichiro, this is Echizen Hari.” 

Hari smiled and waved at him while he gave a polite nod but didn’t smile. 

“Can we help you with something, perhaps?” Seiichi asked looking away from his friend and over at Hari who blinked at him. “You seem to be lost.” 

Hari wasn’t sure how he knew that, but then again it might not be that difficult to guess. 

“Well,” Hari grimaced, “I guess I am.” 

“I know it can be difficult to get to a new place when you’re used to Tokyo,” Seiichi said. “If you tell us where you meant to go we can maybe help you get there.” 

Hari pushed another rebellious strand of hair away from her face feeling her cheeks burning a soft red. 

“I’m going back to Tokyo,” she said. 

“Didn’t you just come from Tokyo?” Seiichi asked surprised. “I mean, you came from the platform where the train from Tokyo stops.” 

Hari sighed. 

“I did,” she said. 

“Then…” 

“I didn’t mean to leave Tokyo, alright!” Hari snapped. 

They stared at her. 

“Gomen,” she sighed. “I fell asleep on the train and I somehow ended up here… Rinko and Nanjiro are going to kill me for doing this again…” 

“Again?” Seiichi asked curiously. 

“Yeah, again,” Hari muttered. “Last time I ended up in Chiba.” 

Seiichi looked amused now and Hari couldn’t help but smile a little as well. She even believed she saw Sanada’s lips twitch amused. 

“Well, I’m going back to Tokyo,” Seiichi said after a moment. “I can show you the way back so you don’t end up in another city…” 

“You look too amused,” she said dryly. 

Seiichi laughed and Hari thought she saw Sanada glance at him almost surprised. She made a note of it but didn’t say anything. 

 

They ended up finding a small place to eat on the station and Hari was surprised how easy it was to talk to Seiichi. She found out that he liked gardening and with her old classes in Herbology and the fact that Aunt Petunia had made her take care of the garden back at Privet Drive for as long as Hari could remember had her she knew a lot about the subject herself. 

Sanada was quiet for the most part, but Hari could feel him watching her closely but when she looked at him he averted his eyes and pretended that he hadn’t just watched her. 

“You can go back now if you want, Genichiro,” Seiichi eventually said. “The train is going to be here soon and I have company now.” 

Hari watched curiously as Sanada gave his friend what seemed like a worried look and Seiichi just smiled and there seemed to be a silent conversation between them. Hari suddenly felt nostalgic seeing that and she suddenly missed Ron and Hermione something fierce. 

Sanada nodded and grabbed his bag and gave her a nod before leaving without looking back. 

“He seems like a good friend,” Hari commented after a moment. 

“He is,” Seiichi nodded. “He’s my oldest friend.” 

Hari nodded and took a sip of her soda. 

 

It was dark by the time they reached Tokyo and Hari wondered how much trouble she was in. She sighed and looked at Seiichi who was looking a little more grave than he had before and she wondered what he was thinking. 

“Thank you for your help,” Hari said. 

“No trouble,” he smiled. 

“So, I should go,” Hari sighed. “I might actually get home before it gets too late.” 

He nodded. 

“Do you have plans tomorrow?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? I know Nanjiro might seem out of character, but I hope I've managed to show that he has this side of him too. He is protective of Hari and doesn't react well to the threat of her being taken away. 
> 
> I know, it's not my best chapter, but this one took forever to get ready and I just had to say enough to myself. It is the best I could get it. It also turned out much longer than I planned as well (about 1000 words longer)... I just never seemed to reach a natural ending place, and I wanted to have a scene (which turned out to more and longer than I planned) with Yukimura before I ended the chapter. Well, you saw how that ended ;)
> 
> A sort of disclaimer: I have no idea exactly what city Rikkaidai is located, only that it's in the Kanagawa prefecture. I did a search on google and just decided that Yokohama would be the city where Rikkaidai would be located. Yokohama is the capital of Kanagawa. If this is wrong, please let me know and I'll change it. :) 
> 
> Also, I plan for Hari to have a match again soon (in a chapter or two). Another test of her talents ;) She will also be showing a new move at that time :) Any thoughts on who she should be playing this time? I'm deliberating between Kikumaru, Momoshiro or Kaido. If you have a wish for who you want Hari to play against please let me know in the comments :) 
> 
> Japanese words used:  
> Saa -filler  
> Gomen - sorry  
> Oyaji - old man/dad  
> Ochibi-chan - from 'chibi' means small. An endearing nickname often used on children.  
> Hai - Yes  
> Yoroshiku - Nice to meet you


	18. Yukimura Seiichi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing!
> 
> A small explanation about some changes I've made in regards to Seiichi's backstory at the end of the chapter :)

“Why are you asking?” Hari asked Seiichi giving him a look and tried to read him, but his expression revealed nothing. 

“Do I need to have a reason?” he asked.

Hari frowned as she looked at him. He smiled at her and she couldn’t help but notice that he looked cute and handsome as he watched her. She pushed the thought away and focused. 

“Are you asking me out on a date?” Hari asked not really knowing what she hoped he would answer. She was a little confused by the fact that she almost wished for him to say yes. 

“Would you agree to a date?” he arched a brow. 

Hari swallowed and he smiled. 

“I know you’re not ready for that,” he said and she blinked. “So, I would like to meet you and get to know you.” 

Why did she feel disappointed at the same time as relieved? 

“That sounds fine,” she agreed with a small smile. “And no, other than school and tennis practice I don’t have any plans tomorrow.” 

“Tennis practice?” he looked curiously at her. “You play?” 

“Yeah,” Hari nodded. “You?” 

“Not at the moment,” he said and a shadow passed over his face as he glanced away from her. 

Hari wanted to ask, but the look on his face stopped her. 

“Well, what do you want to do tomorrow?” she asked changing the subject and he looked back at her with something that resembled confusion and curiosity in his eyes as he stared at her for a moment before he smiled and his face cleared. 

“Depends,” he said. 

“On?” 

“What you want to do,” he said. “There’s this botanic garden I would like to visit, and if you want we could go there together.” 

“Sure,” Hari said, “I haven’t been at a botanic garden before.” 

“Then we need to change that,” he smiled. “So, meet around four in the afternoon?” 

“Daijobu,” Hari nodded. “Here…” 

She wrote her number on a small piece of paper and handed it to him. 

“My number,” she explained. “Text me so I’ll have your number as well. I’ll let you know if I’m grounded for life for getting lost. Again.” 

He laughed and nodded. 

“Sure thing,” he said and did something she had never experienced before. He took her hand and bowed over it like you only saw in old movies (not that she had seen many movies) or read about in romance books and then…then he kissed it. “It was nice to see you again, Hari-chan.” 

Hari felt flustered and only managed to stutter out a reply and left before she could make a fool out of herself. 

 

What was that? Hari leaned against the front door after closing it behind her having arrived home yet having no memory of how she did so. She stared at her hand like she’d never seen it before. She couldn’t remember ever feeling so flustered and thrown off before. He had just kissed her hand.

He had kissed her hand. 

It didn’t mean anything. He was just teasing her. Right. She inhaled and nodded to herself. He was just teasing her. Her eyes lingered on the spot on her hand where he had kissed her, where she had felt his lips on her skin… 

She felt her cheeks burn and frowned as her flustered feelings rushed back and again she shook her head to clear it. She clenched her hand and forcibly let it fall to her side and tried her best to force herself to calm down. She had other worries now and with that thought, she looked up to see Rinko watching her curiously and contemplatively. 

“Hari-chan,” she said and Hari fought the blush again. “Okaeri.” 

Just what had she seen? 

“Tadaima,” Hari said. “Um… I’m sorry I’m late…” 

“We were about to go and look for you,” Rinko said. “We worried you had gotten lost again.” 

Hari grimaced and rubbed her neck as she looked at the older woman who was still watching her warmly and curiously. Hari felt bad for worrying her over something like this but at the same time…she felt warmth fill her chest at the knowledge that they would go and look for her. 

Back at the Dursley’s no one would have gone out to look for her if she didn’t come home at night. She was more likely to find the doors locked and herself shut out of the house for the night. 

“Right,” Hari muttered and looked at Rinko. “About that…” 

She knew she had to tell the truth. She wouldn’t lie about what happened. She couldn’t bring herself to lie to them. 

 

Hari found herself in her room an hour later after a talk and scolding from Rinko and Nanjiro about how she had to learn to pay attention to her surroundings and learn how the train system worked before using it. That was why she had been forbidden to take the train on her own until she had learned (and proved) she could handle it without getting lost. 

Hari couldn’t help feeling that she deserved that punishment. She had just been silent and listened and nodded when she had to show she had understood what they were saying. The worst punishment, though, wasn’t the scolding or the forbidding of using the trains alone. No, it was the fact that she disappointed them and had worried them. 

She did feel a relief over the fact that she hadn’t been grounded. She would be able to go and see Seiichi the next day…and there her thoughts were back on him. But…did she want to see him? Her confused thoughts rushed through her as she wondered what he was thinking and why he had done that. 

Seriously, she had not been thinking about any boy this much since Saeki…

Saeki… she blinked as she realised for the first time this evening that her ban on using the train meant that she couldn’t go to Chiba and see him and get his help on how to make her motion vision stronger. 

She felt the familiar fluttering in her stomach as her mind turned from Seiichi and over at Saeki and the way he smiled at her and made her feel like she mattered. He was very kind and thoughtful, and Hari missed him. How long had it been since she’d seen him now? So much had happened since then. 

 

“What are you daydreaming about?” a voice brought her out of her thoughts and she looked to the door and saw Ryoma watching her curiously. 

“Nani mo,” she said and sat up. “What’s up?” 

“I just wanted to see if you survived your scolding,” he smirked. 

“Haha, very funny,” Hari pouted. 

“Oh, come on, Hari,” Ryoma smiled as he stepped into her room and sat down on her office chair. “You know you’re really hopeless on the trains…” 

“Hai, hai,” Hari scowled. “You don’t need to rub it in. I can’t take the train alone anymore…” 

Ryoma looked at her for a moment. 

“Well, you don’t really need the trains to get around,” he said. 

She looked away. She wasn’t sure why she didn’t tell him about Saeki and how he helped her with her tennis, and for that, she needed to go to Chiba…but something held her back. 

“How did your match against Tezuka-Captain go?” Hari asked changing the subject. 

He frowned and she knew. He had lost. She wasn’t sure if she felt surprised or not by that. She knew better than anyone just how good Ryoma was, but she knew that Tezuka must be good as well even without having watched him play. 

“I lost,” Ryoma said. 

“So, he was good?” Hari asked. 

“He’s very strong;” Ryoma nodded and looked distractedly out of the window and blinked as Hedwig came flying through it and landed on the desk right in front of Ryoma. “Ew. Is that a dead mouse?” 

Hari glanced at the thing that Hedwig had placed on the desk and smiled at the disgusted look on Ryoma’s face as he scooted a little away from it. 

“Good girl, Hedwig,” Hari complimented her owl while Ryoma grimaced again. Hedwig let out a soft coo and puffed out her chest in pride and looked over at Ryoma. “Ryo-chan, tell her she did well.” 

“Nande?” he asked her. 

“Because she looks at you to tell her,” Hari rolled her eyes. 

“Ehm,” Ryoma looked at Hedwig. “Good girl?” 

Hedwig seemed to huff and roll her golden eyes before picking up the mouse and flying over to her cage. 

“You have an odd pet, Hari,” Ryoma said and Hari smiled. 

“Hedwig is special,” she said, “but back to our conversation, tell me about the match?” 

Ryoma sighed and told her about how he had gone all out against Tezuka but he had returned everything Ryoma had given and how he felt frustrated. Frustrated like only he felt while playing Nanjiro. 

“You’ll figure it out,” Hari said confidently. 

“Dou?” 

“By thinking and training,” Hari said. “You can do it, Ryo-chan.” 

He smiled slightly and nodded but he looked pensive and Hari didn’t say anything else. She knew her little brother. He needed to think on his own and not be pushed into talking when he looked like that. Hari watched him as he stared out of the window. 

 

The next day found Hari excited and nervous at the same time, but she was unable to say just why she felt nervous. She never felt nervous like this before seeing Saeki, but she didn’t want to think about why that may be. 

She almost wished she could skip the entire school day and practice, but again it offered the distraction she needed before meeting Seiichi again. 

“Ryo-chan,” Hari smiled when she found him during lunch. 

He wasn’t eating and she sighed. She pushed food in front of him and when he looked up she gave him a pointed look and smiled when he grabbed the sandwich and started to eat. 

“Happy?” he asked. 

“Of course,” she said as she sat down next to him under the tree he was resting under. “Why are you alone? I thought Horio-chan and the others usually dragged you with them for lunch.” 

“Then why did you come looking for me?” he asked distractedly. 

Hari sighed.

“Fine,” she said. “I thought you might avoid them and not eat.” 

“I’m fine, Hari,” he said. 

“I know you are,” Hari said as she took a bite of her own sandwich. “But you are my little brother, so is it that strange that I would want to check on you?” 

Ryoma glanced at her and allowed a small smile to cross his face. 

“I guess,” he said. 

They ate in silence for a while and just watched the other students that crossed the yard and they did spot some of their teammates but none of them seemed to see them or decided against going over to them at least. 

“I won’t come to the practice today;” Ryoma suddenly said. 

“I figured;” Hari looked at him. She wasn’t surprised, she knew that Ryoma needed to think and work out how to handle whatever Tezuka had told him or showed him and Ryoma did that best by playing against his dad. 

Ryoma nodded and got up just as the bell rang signalling the end of lunch. 

 

Hari had worked hard at practice and dodged questions about where Ryoma was and why he had not shown up for practice again. She knew that the others were curious, especially Momoshiro and the first year trio. She had a suspicion that Fuji had an idea about all this because he had looked at her with a knowing look, but she didn’t say anything and neither did he. 

So, now she found herself dodging Momoshiro (again) and leave to meet Seiichi. She felt bad for not saying goodbye to Momoshiro but she knew it would be difficult to get away if she paused to talk to him and she was already late. So, she made a mental note to talk to the dunk specialist the next day and apologize then. 

She had agreed to meet Seiichi at a park not that far from the school and found him waiting for her. She smiled a little as she saw him leaning against a tree and noticed how he was staring up at the tree as he was waiting. He looked fascinated and Hari wondered just what was so fascinating about that tree. 

“Konnichiwa,” Seiichi smiled at her when she came close enough for him to notice her. “You got here faster than I thought you would.” 

“I think I’m still late, though,” Hari smiled. “Sorry about that.” 

“No problem,” he said and pushed away from the tree. “Do you want to go?” 

“Sure,” she said and they started to walk side by side. “How was your day?” 

He shrugged, “long. Boring.” 

Hari glanced at him before looking away again. 

“Yours?” he asked. 

“It was alright, I guess,” Hari said. “Tennis practice made it better.”

“Did you have a good practice?” he asked. 

“It was so and so,” she said, “I feel… no, never mind.” 

“What?” he asked. 

“I can tell you don’t really want to talk about tennis,” Hari said, “so we don’t have to.” 

“No, it’s fine,” he assured her. “I want to know. What do you feel?” 

Hari looked at him and could tell he looked honestly interested so she started to talk. 

“Well, I guess I feel a little stuck, “she admitted. “I joined the boys’ team a while ago and I’m trying to keep up with them. But I need to get better and I don’t really know what more I can do to get better. I need to have something that makes me stand out, but right now I’m just working on standard stuff and while I know that’s important, I have to get better…” 

She frowned. 

“Nande?” Seiichi asked. “If you are on the boys’ team you must be good. I know Seigaku, we’ve played them before and I know they are very strict about their tennis. So, if they let you on the boys’ team then you must be a good player and they must see something in you that made them accept you.” 

Hari looked at him and wasn’t sure what to say. Why did she need to get better? How to explain it? Why should she explain it..

“I guess it’s because I want to prove to my family that I can do it,” she finally said surprising herself. “I…I was recently adopted and my adopted dad and brother is very good at tennis. I just want to show them that I can do something to, and prove to them that I fit in…I need to do it. For them and for me.” 

Hari wasn’t sure why she admitted that to Seiichi. It wasn’t something she had talked about before, but it was true. She did feel like she had to prove it to them, to prove that she belonged with them and tennis was something they all understood. 

Seiichi was silent for a long time and she was starting to get worried that she had said too much and that he thought she was overly dramatic or something when he spoke again. 

“Have they said that?” he asked. 

“No,” Hari frowned. 

“Then why do you feel you have to?” 

“Just because,” Hari said. 

He nodded, “well, I won’t pretend that I know the answer because I haven’t watched you play before so I don’t know your strengths and weaknesses, but what I usually tell my team when they are working to get better is; work on your strength and what you already have. Develop it and trust that you are enough.” 

Hari frowned as she thought about what he said. Work on her strengths… it sounded simple but yet difficult at the same time. 

Seiichi let her think and didn’t say anything else but he glanced at her from time to time both curious and concerned. 

 

They reached the botanic garden and Hari smiled as she pushed her thoughts out of her mind for not and looked around the spacious garden with sandy paths between green grass and trees and flowers. It was really idyllic. 

“Let’s go,” Seiichi said and she nodded and followed him down a path with tall cherry trees.

They chatted easily as they walked and Seiichi told her a few things about the plants as they passed them and she found it to be quite interesting and asked questions. She was relieved to see that he enjoyed her questioning and she relaxed even more. 

“It’s beautiful here,” she said looking around and took in the lake that had appeared on their right side. She briefly wondered if this lake had a giant squid, but she really doubted it. Despite the lack of the giant squid, she found the same calm and serenity she usually found in the grounds of Hogwarts in this park and she couldn’t help the smile that crossed her face as she took in the garden around her. 

“I find it peaceful,” Seiichi said also looking around before walking to an empty bench and sat down. 

She looked at him and wondered what was going through his mind. He looked pensive and she couldn’t help but wonder what he was thinking. She walked closer and looked out over the lake when she stopped just a few steps away from where he was sitting.

The silence lasted between them and neither seemed inclined to break it for a while. It was getting late and Hari could tell that the sky was turning darker and twilight was closing in, but she didn’t say anything. 

“You’re very patient,” Seiichi broke the silence. “Most would have asked by now.” 

“No one has called me patient before,” Hari commented amused as she glanced at him. She wondered what Hermione would say if she heard Seiichi call Hari patient. Probably huff and roll her eyes. “Nande?” 

Seiichi smiled a little before it fell away and he turned serious again and Hari frowned slightly as she took in the change in him. 

“Do you know what Guillain-Barre syndrome or GBS is?” Seiichi asked. 

Hari paused and thought about it, she couldn’t say that it sounded familiar to her so she eventually shook her head and wished that Hermione had been there because she was sure Hermione would know. 

“Thought so,” Seiichi said. 

Hari sat down beside him and looked at him but didn’t say anything.

“It’s a disease that makes your muscles weak and you find yourself unable to use your muscles in the areas that are affected,” Seiichi said still staring out over the pond. “It can be fatal if your respiratory muscles are affected.” 

“What’s causing it?” Hari asked quietly. 

“Your immune system is damaging your nervous system,” Seiichi answered. 

“Sounds terrible,” Hari said while observing Seiichi. She felt sure why he was saying this and she really hoped that she was wrong because that disease sounded just horrible. 

He glanced at her and when he saw her watching him he didn’t look away again as he met her eyes with his own violet eyes. 

“It is,” he said quietly and visibly inhaled like he was steeling himself. “I got it last year. It affected the muscles in my legs.” 

Hari felt her eyes widen slightly but she had known he would say he had it from the moment he started to explain it. She felt bad for him and she felt admiration for the way he kept going, for being able to tell her like this. She wasn’t sure what she would have done if she had faced with something like that. 

“You’re the first who hasn’t looked away from me when I told them,” he said with a small smile.

“Why would I look away?” Hari asked. 

“Some, well most, find it too horrible and don’t know how to act,” Seiichi shrugged. 

“How are you now?” Hari asked while filing away his last comment to think about later. 

“I’m doing better,” he smiled and seemed to relax more. “I’m still in and out of the hospital, but I had my surgery and they say I make great progress.” 

“You’re very brave,” Hari said after a moment of silence. 

“Brave?” he blinked and looked at her. 

“Yeah,” she said. “To fight it like you have.” 

“Don’t really see that I had any other choice,” Seiichi said looking away from her. 

“There’s always a choice,” Hari said firmly and he couldn’t help but look over at her. “You could have decided to not fight. You might say that you had to fight it, but that was a choice.” 

He stared at her for a moment before he smiled and let a small laugh escape. 

“You’re a weird one,” he said. 

Hari would have been offended but his tone and smile told her that he wasn’t being mean and that he didn’t mean anything bad by his words. She just smiled slightly and looked back at the lake and realised that it was now dark and the daylight had gone. 

“We should go,” Seiichi said. “The garden is closing really soon.” 

Hari nodded and followed him again. 

 

They said their goodbyes when they reached the park where they had met and Seiichi did the same bowing-over-her-hand-and-kissed it-thing he had done before making Hari give him a curious look better able to hide the flustered feeling that flashed through her at the action. 

She walked the now (luckily) familiar way through the streets back home and thought about everything Seiichi had told her that day. She was surprised that he had said that much, but it might be for the same reason why she had opened up to him like she had. Sometimes you just needed to talk to someone and sometimes it helped that you didn’t really know them that well. It could be easier to just say it without thinking then. It hadn’t really happened for her before, but with Seiichi…she felt that she could trust him. Her gut instinct told her that so she had and she couldn’t really bring herself to regret it.

She couldn’t help but feel for him, though. That disease sounded terrible and she made a mental note to research it later and learn more about it. Maybe she could help him somehow. She hoped she could. 

She was just at the temple when she heard the noise coming from inside and she paused and looked up through the gate and with a moment hesitation walked through it and looked around for the sound. 

She stopped hidden by the darkness as she spotted Ryoma hitting tennis ball after tennis ball over the net. Nanjiro was there as well returning every ball that Ryoma hit.

He was still practising? Hari thought as she stared at them. He must have been playing for hours and hours. She could tell just from the way he seemed exhausted yet determined. 

Hari stayed watching for another minute before she turned and walked back down the path she had come and to the house. 

 

“Hari-chan,” Rinko smiled when she saw her. “You’re back.” 

“Hai,” Hari nodded. “I’m sorry I’m late.” 

Rinko nodded and frowned. 

“Are you alright, Hari-chan?” she asked. 

“I’m fine,” Hari said distractedly. “I’m just tired.” 

Hari smiled once before walking up the stairs and to her room where she collapsed down at her bed and stared at the ceiling. 

She had to work a lot harder if she wanted to avoid falling too far behind Ryoma and his massive talent. It was the first time she felt intimidated by the sheer talent of her chosen brother. 

She did think that Seiichi had a point, but it was hard to just see it logically and detached. Her need to prove to them, to herself that she belonged and that she shared tennis with them was starting to take over her mind. 

Work with what you have.

What did she have? What did she have that she could develop and make stronger? 

So, yeah, she had gotten pretty good at the motion vision that Saeki had taught her. She wasn’t sure how to make that stronger, though. Maybe she should ask Saeki sometime? Then she remembered that she wasn’t allowed to use the train and therefore couldn’t go and see him. She frowned but pushed the problem away for now. She would figure it out later. 

Her serve was getting better as well, and Tezuka had helped her with it so she felt more confident in it. But…it wasn’t perfect. 

Her mind spun with thoughts and ideas that kept being blocked by her own logical side but her mind wouldn’t shut down even as she heard footsteps outside her door and someone entered the room next to her own and she knew that Ryoma had finally gotten home. 

 

Hari wished she could write to Hermione and Ron and get their advice on everything going through her mind at the moment. She knew they would have been able to help her with it and she missed their constant presence in her life. 

Hermione would suggest going to the library and read more about tennis to learn more about the sport and that way learn how to get stronger. Or more like Hermione would rush off to the library for her and check out all the books and bring them back to Hari and tell her to start reading.

Hari would even if she would exchange an exasperated look with Ron before doing it. Ron would be more at ease and tell her to trust her instincts and skills.

Hari had gone to the library at school and used her lunch break to read about tennis, but she really didn’t think her answers were in these books. She was passed this, and she had already read a lot of it. 

What she wanted was something that symbolised her new path in life, her new start and a way to use it to get stronger. She looked out at the court through the window and popped her head on her arm resting on the desk. 

A new start. 

She frowned and wondered… she might have an idea and she felt a smile cross her lips as she sat up straight and stared at the book in front of her. She quickly started to flip through it until she got to the part she was looking for. 

 

Hari went through practice as normal but she couldn’t wait until she could try out her new idea, she knew it needed a lot of work and fine-tuning, and she needed to try it out before she really knew if her idea was promising or not. 

And she wasn’t going to try it out here. She wanted to do it on her own where she couldn’t be seen by the others. Something told her to keep it to herself for now. 

“You look to be in a hurry,” Fuji stepped up behind Hari who jumped and spun around glaring at him. 

“Don’t do that!” she gasped. 

“Do what?” he smiled innocently. 

“You know perfectly well what,” Hari grumbled. “What do you want?” 

“So rude,” Fuji commented dryly. “Don’t you respect your sempai?” 

Hari sighed. She wanted to get going and get started on her new idea and see if she could get it to work. She didn’t want to stand here talking with Fuji when he was in a mood to tease her and clearly found something very amusing. Most likely her if Hari was honest with herself. 

“Sure,” she sighed. “What do you want, sempai?” 

“I just wondered what has you so impatient today,” Fuji looked at her, his head tilted to the side curiously. “You seem eager to leave practice today and are even ignoring the rest of us…” 

“So you come over here to see what I’m up to?” she arched a brow. “What’s it to you if I’m eager to leave as you say?” 

“I’m curious,” he said unashamedly. 

“Of course you are,” Hari sighed. “And…I’m not telling you.” 

“Saa?” He arched a brow. “Now I’m really curious… are you hiding a boy from us perhaps?” 

Hari blinked at him surprised and ignored the fact that both Saeki and Seiichi flashed through her mind at his words. 

“Ie,” she said. “Why would I…” 

She shook her head. 

“Ie,” she said again. 

“Hm,” he frowned. “Perhaps I should ask Echizen.” 

“No!” Hari said and he smiled like she had confirmed something. 

“Then tell me,” he said. “And I’ll consider not asking your brother.” 

Hari scowled at him. Who would have thought that Fuji would…okay, so maybe it wasn’t that surprising from what she had heard of him, but…She sighed. She wasn’t sure what to say, or if she just should ignore him. 

She wasn’t really that against Ryoma finding out was she? 

Yes. She was. She wanted to surprise him. She wanted to work this out without his help to show that she could do it without having his help. Not because she didn’t want his help, but because she wanted, no needed, to prove that she could do it. That she deserved to be his sister. 

So that meant…she looked at Fuji who was smiling and watching her curiously. 

“Fine,” she sighed and his smile grew in the victory. “I’m trying to develop a new move and want to do it away from here, so I’m going to another court to practice and try to figure it out.” 

Fuji actually opened his eyes so she could see the blue eyes looking back at her in his surprise. 

“And that is what you don’t want Echizen to know?” he asked confused.

“Hai,” Hari nodded. “So…”

“Nande?” Fuji asked. 

“Why what?” 

“Why don’t you want him to know?” Fuji asked. 

“Just don’t,” Hari said, “I want to surprise him and he’s busy with his own thing and I won’t bother him with this.” 

Fuji stared at her for a moment before he nodded. 

“Daijobu,” he said. “Come on.” 

“Eh?” 

“Come on, Hari-chan,” Fuji said and started to walk and Hari followed just because she felt confused and wasn’t sure what was going on. 

 

“This is a good court,” Hari looked around and saw the kids playing not far from where they were. 

“I used to come here with my little brother,” Fuji said and Hari blinked. She wasn’t aware that he had a brother. “It’s nice.” 

Hari nodded. 

“But why…” 

“I’ll help you,” Fuji said simply. “You need someone to feed you the balls and to work out your move.” 

Hari stared at him. A part of her wanted to protest, but another part…another part saw the logic in his words. She knew Fuji was a great player, he was called a genius in tennis. So, he would be able to offer her good help. 

“Alright,” she said and he smiled. 

“So, tell me,” Fuji said. “What is your idea?” 

 

Hari was exhausted when she got back home that night and she barely managed to keep her eyes open long enough to eat dinner and then do her homework. Fuji had liked her idea and had offered some modifications to it helping her make it even stronger. He had pushed her harder than she thought he would, but she liked it. 

“Ryo-chan,” Hari mumbled when she felt someone at her side and saw Ryoma watching her. “Are you ok?” 

“I should be asking you that,” he frowned. “You look really tired.” 

“M’fine,” she mumbled and Ryoma sighed and grabbed her arm and managed to get her over to the bed. “Wha’u’ing?” 

“You need to sleep,” Ryoma said. “You’re not even making sense now.” 

“’m’so,” but her eyes were already closed and her breathing slowing down. “Ryo-chan… I’ll prove it to you…” 

Ryoma frowned down at the now sleeping girl before he walked out of her room and closed the door behind him quietly. He had just looked in on her because he thought she looked tired during dinner and he was worried, and he’d seen her almost asleep at her desk so he decided to get her over to the bed. 

Just what did she mean by that last part? What would she prove? She didn’t have anything she needed to prove… Still frowning he went into his room and patted Karupin as he sat down on his bed. 

He would talk to her later. Ask what she meant. 

 

Seiichi was in his room at the hospital. He didn’t really like it but unlike the other times he had been there he didn’t feel the same claustrophobic feeling this time. His mind was busy with the mystery of Hari. 

He kept thinking about the afternoon they spent together and how she hadn’t looked away from him when he told her about his disease. Everyone looked away to hide the pity and the horror they were feeling from him. His team, his parents, his grandparents… everyone.

Hari hadn’t. She looked straight at him and while he saw the horror and sympathy in her deep green eyes, he saw now pity. He felt…refreshed by the fact that she didn’t try to hide what she felt about his disease from him. 

He wasn’t even sure why he had told her. It wasn’t like him to complain to strangers about his struggles with the sickness. He never really did that, only Sanada had been privy to how he struggled and his anger at the disease. 

While he hadn’t really said anything about that part of his disease to Hari, only admitting to having GBS, he could see himself telling her. He almost had. He had almost lost control over his restraint and told her just how difficult, how unfair, how terrible it all was and how he sometimes thought he would never be able to play tennis again. 

There was something about her that made him feel like she would understand. A connection between them and he would bet that she felt it too. 

Oh, not to get him wrong, it wasn’t like he thought he was in love with her or anything. He never believed in love at first sight like in those romantic books and movies he heard girls talk about. No, it was interest, interest and curiosity. 

It was Saturday now. Would she have plans or would she be free to come and see him? To save him from boredom? 

He sent her a quick text and put the phone down as he walked over to the window. He wasn’t sure how long he stood there before his phone buzzed and he saw a reply. 

A smile crossed his face when he saw that she was free to come and meet him and would be there in ten minutes or so. 

 

Twenty minutes later the door to his room opened and he saw Hari standing there in her training clothes and her racket bag over her shoulder so he would say it was a pretty easy bet to make to say that she had been out to play tennis. 

“Hey,” she smiled. “Bored?” 

“Hai,” he smiled back. “Have you been playing tennis?” 

She nodded and entered the room closing the door behind her and putting her bag down next to the door before walking closer to him. 

“I’m working on my new move,” she grinned at him. “Thanks to you I had some new ideas.” 

“Glad I could help,” he said. 

“So this is where you have been locked up,” she said looking around the room. “It’s cosier than I expected and at least you got a private room. I remember back at my old school and I ended up at the Hospital Wing I was in this large room with lots of bed… hated to be stuck in there over the weekend.” 

Seiichi snorted. She always said something he was not expecting her to say. 

“Sounds tough,” he said. “You were in the hospital?” 

She glanced at him before looking away but he saw her green eyes suddenly look darker before they cleared and she smiled slightly at him, and he couldn’t help but notice that her left hand grabbed her right lower arm almost subconsciously. 

“It happened a few times,” she said. “Injuries from sports and all that.” 

Before he could say anything else the door opened and a ball of energy ran into the room and attached himself around Seiichi’s waist. 

“Seiichi-nii-chan!” 

“Minoru-chan,” Seiichi smiled slightly at the younger boy who froze when he spotted Hari standing there watching them with a bemused expression on her face. 

“Oh, you have a visitor?” he asked. 

“I do,” Seiichi nodded and looked over Minoru’s head and spotted his best friend standing in the door staring at Hari as well. 

“Hari-chan,” Seiichi said. “This is my little cousin, Yukimura Minoru. You already met Genichiro.” 

“Nice to meet you, Minoru-chan,” Hari smiled and waved at the younger boy. He kind of resembled Seiichi, his features a little rounder than Seiichi’s but the eyes was the same violet-blue and his navy blue hair was a little darker than Seiichi’s but it was clear that there was some family resemblance between them. 

“Are you Seiichi-nii-chan’s girlfriend?” Minoru asked tilting his head as he stepped away from Seiichi and stared up at her. 

Hari hoped she wasn’t blushing. 

“No,” she said. 

“Hm,” Minoru gave her a look that clearly said he didn’t believe her. “You don’t attend school with Seiichi-nii-chan or Genichiro-nii-chan because then Seiichi-nii-chan wouldn’t have almost introduced you to him.” 

“Very observant of you,” Hari said. 

“Seiichi-nii-chan says so too,” Minoru nodded proudly and Seiichi smiled fondly at the boy and ruffled his hair. “Don’t do that.” 

“Why?” 

“Because I’m too old for that,” Minoru said. “I’m only four years younger than you!” 

“Oh,” Seiichi smiled gently. “Well, if that’s the case…” 

Hari smiled watching them but looked up when she felt eyes watching her and found Sanada watching her curiously. 

“Nice to meet you again,” Hari said. 

He nodded and she started to wonder if he ever talked. 

“You too,” he said as if he had heard her and she smiled. 

“Seiichi-nii-chan! Tanomu! Tanomu!” Minoru jumped up and down as he looked pleadingly at his cousin. 

Hari arched a brow wondering what she was missing now.

“I’m hungry,” Minoru said. “Can’t we go and eat something? Genichiro-nii-chan said we had to wait until we got to see you!” 

Seiichi sighed and looked at Sanada who had his impassive mask on. 

“Did he now?” Seiichi said. “Alright.” 

“Yatta!” Minoru cheered. 

“Looks like you didn’t need to be saved from boredom after all, Sei-chan,” Hari smiled. 

Seiichi stilled for a moment and his violet-blue eyes locked on her making her arch a brow as he seemed to stare at her for a long moment. He didn’t move until Sanada coughed lightly and Seiichi jolted slightly as he blinked and straightened up more. 

“Gomen. I didn’t know they were coming,” he said. 

Was he blushing?

“That’s alright,” Hari smiled. “I’ll leave you to it…” 

“No,” Seiichi said and Hari blinked at him. “No, I meant do you want to join us?” 

Hari looked at Minoru and Sanada who both were staring at them. Minoru looked confused but Hari must admit that he did look rather adorable. Sanada looked more curious than confused and pensive as he watched Seiichi more than her. 

“If your friend and cousin don’t mind?” Hari said. 

“We don’t!” Minoru beamed at her. “But… can we eat now?” 

Hari chuckled and looked back at Seiichi who smiled slightly but had looked away from her now and back at his cousin leaving Hari to wonder what had just occurred between them and why he had frozen when she…oh. She had called him by a nickname. She often gave people around her nicknames…maybe he didn’t like it? 

Minoru talked and talked as they ate at a small burger place just around the corner from the hospital. Seiichi answered and talked with his cousin while Hari and Sanada both seemed content to observe the two. Though, Hari had a feeling Sanada observed her just as much as the other two. 

In the end Hari was dragged into the conversation as well and much to her surprise realised that she was having fun and felt lighter than she had in days if not weeks. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The new chapter is finally done! It took forever to write... what do you think? :)
> 
> I found on PoT Wikia that the disease Seiichi has is something called Guillain-Barre Syndrom. I don't know anything about it and did some research on it, but not a lot. So if any of the information in this chapter (or later chapters) is wrong I apologize for that. I'll try to keep it as close to the truth as I can, but I know very little about the recovery process of the disease and therefore will make changes so it fits this story. 
> 
> I know that Seiichi has the surgery later in the anime/manga, but I made a decision to change it. He will now be in recovery but still has to go to the hospital from time to time, so he'll be in Tokyo at times. I haven't decided yet if he'll be fit to play the first time Seigaku will meet Rikkaidai or not, but that is a long way away anyway so nothing to worry about right now. 
> 
> Thank you for reading, commenting and/or leaving kudos! I appreciate it all! :D 
> 
> Japanese words used:  
> Daijobu - all right  
> Okaeri - Welcome back!  
> Tadaima - I'm home  
> Nani mo - nothing  
> Hai - yes  
> Nande - Why  
> Dou - How  
> Konnichiwa - Hello  
> Why - Nande  
> Sempai - upperclassman  
> Saa - filler  
> Ie - no  
> Tanomu - Please  
> Yatta - Yey  
> Gomen - Sorry


	19. Brothers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Hari jumped up the steps that led from the path along the river and up to the street. She had counted and found that it totalled in 54 steps. She jumped another step and another trying not to think about how many she had left. 

“Motto hayaku!” 

“Slave driver!” Hari gasped out as she finally reached the top and sank down so she was seated on the top step and stared down at Fuji who was just smirking up at her. She leaned forward trying to catch her breath. 

“Come on, Hari-chan,” Fuji smiled. “I know you have more than that!” 

Hari gave him a tired glare but got to her feet again and jogged down the steps and turned around before starting to jump up once more. She gritted her teeth as she jumped and ignored the way her legs felt like they were turning into jelly. 

One more. 

Again. 

Just…one more. 

She reached the top and collapsed on her back and stared up at the blue sky with white clouds drifting by as her breaths came out harshly and her heart thundered in her chest. She barely noticed that Fuji was now coming up besides he and sat down as well. 

“You really shouldn’t lie down like this here,” he told her. “You might be trodden on.” 

“Damare,” she mumbled and he laughed. 

They sat/lay in silence for a while and Hari wondered just why she was bothering with this before she remembered it was all because she was working on her new move. 

“You’re stamina and jumping abilities are getting better,” Fuji commented. 

“You think so?” Hari asked glancing over at him before looking back at the sky. 

“Of course,” Fuji smiled. “So, let’s go back to the court and we’ll start training on your jump as you try to hit the tennis ball.” 

Hari nodded and pushed herself up and followed Fuji back down and made their way toward the court they normally used when they were practising her new move together. 

 

“Who are you?” A boy asked and Hari looked around to see a boy with short brown hair staring at her with his arms crossed over his chest. 

“Rude,” Hari said and turned her back at him to continue with her work. 

She was alone for now because Fuji had to go and fix something but he would be back soon. She ignored the stares she felt on her back as she hit yet another ball over the net and grimaced as she didn’t hit it correctly. 

“I asked you who you are?” the boy demanded and stepped onto the court, “and what are you doing here?!” 

Hari sighed as she lowered her racket and turned to face the boy. He was glaring at her and she arched a brow at him. 

“You know it’s a public court, right?” she asked him. “Also, it’s only polite to introduce yourself first before you demand a name from someone you’ve never met.” 

“Pfft,” he scoffed. “Whatever. I need the court, so please leave.” 

His tone was mocking and she sighed. 

“Ie,” she said. “I don’t feel like it.” 

She glanced over at him and saw the rebellious look in his eyes and the glare he continued to level at her. 

“You know, it’s room for more than one,” she said. “I don’t mind if you use the other half.” 

“Well, I do mind,” the boy growled. “So, leave.” 

“Ie,” Hari said simply. 

“Yuta?” Fuji’s voice sounded and Hari looked to the side to see her friend had returned and was staring at the boy, Yuta?, with a stunned look and actually opened eyes. 

Hari looked at Yuta and saw that he had frozen for a moment before he glared hatefully at Fuji and spun around before running off the court. 

 

“You know him?” Hari asked when the silence stretched. She watched Fuji with concern as she was worried about how silent he was. 

Fuji stared after the other boy even after he was out of sight before he sighed and looked tired. 

“He’s my little brother,” Fuji finally said. 

Hari hid her surprise as she looked at Fuji and noticed the tension in his shoulders and the way his jaw was clenched. He also looked sad and pensive at the same time. 

“Let’s continue,” Fuji said as he shook himself and seemingly returned to his normal self. Hari gave him a last look before she nodded. 

“Alright,” she said. 

She wasn’t going to ask even if she felt curious about their relationship. She could remember the way Yuta looked at Fuji, it was filled with contempt and pain, and Fuji…she had never seen that tired expression on his face before. 

Hari just went back to what she was doing and smiled when Fuji joined her. 

They had finished and Hari was putting her racket back into the bag and was zipping it up when she heard a sigh and looked over at Fuji to find him seated on the bench leaned back and staring up at the sky. 

“You okay, Shu-chan?” she asked. 

He blinked and turned blue eyes to her and gave her a questioning look. 

“Shu-chan?” he asked. 

“Why not?” she grinned, “you don’t like it?” 

He laughed and shrugged. 

“I guess you can call me that,” he said before looking back at the sky. 

“So?” Hari sat down beside him and looked up at the sky herself as she waited for him to say something. 

“I’m alright, Hari-chan,” Fuji said. “I was just thinking about my brother.” 

Hari nodded. 

“I haven’t really seen him in a while,” Fuji confessed. 

Hari frowned but didn’t say anything and just let Fuji decide what to say. 

“He used to be a cry-baby and weak,” Fuji recollected. “And he would follow me around everywhere and try to do everything I did. He picked up tennis when I did and we used to come here and play together.” 

Hari glanced over at him from the corner of her eye and saw the nostalgic look on his face. 

“But…as we grew older he got more and more angry and hostile,” Fuji sighed. “I know it was my fault.” 

Hari frowned but still kept silent as she let him speak. 

“Everyone started to compare him to me and expect that he had the same talent in tennis,” Fuji said, “and he hated it. He used to attend Seigaku, but he quit when he couldn’t get out of my shadow. I tried to help, but everything just made it worse.” 

He sighed and a shadow crossed over his face as he clearly remembered something painful. Hari was surprised by what she heard and felt sorry for both Fuji and his brother, but she also understood. She had seen this before, after all. Ron and his insecurities toward his older brothers was a perfect example of how Yuta must feel. 

“I really don’t know what to do,” Fuji admitted. 

 

Fuji wasn’t sure why he was speaking. He was telling himself in his mind that he should shut up and to stop because Hari didn’t deserve to be pulled into his family drama, but he couldn’t stop the words. 

It might be because she didn’t say anything and only looked understanding and concerned without any trace of pity on her face. 

Or maybe it was just because she was there and had seen Yuta and he was thrown off by suddenly seeing his little brother at the court where they used to play tennis together before everything changed between them. He hadn’t expected to see him now and to be honest; he hadn’t expected him to come back to this court at all. Why had he come here?

“He needs to work it out himself,” Hari suddenly said and Fuji looked at her. She met his eyes and smiled slightly. “Having a brother who is seen as ‘better’, ‘stronger, and a ‘genius’ is difficult. It’s not your fault and he will realise that one day, Shu-chan.” 

Fuji blinked. 

“You seem to know what you’re talking about,” he commented after a while. 

She got a sad smile on her face as she turned her face away from him and looked back up at the blue sky and he could see the profile of her face. 

“One of my best friends back in Britain has five older brothers and one younger sister,” Hari said. “He feels insecure because his older brothers are all successful in their own ways and he always feels like he has to prove to be just as good as them. Not to mention that his younger sister is the first girl in the family in seven generations and gets a lot of attention because of that.” Not to mention being the best friend of the Girl-Who-Lived and being in her shadow as well… well, Ron had it tough. 

Fuji blinked. Again. Hari always managed to throw him off with what she said and did, every time he thought he had her figured out she did or said something that had him guessing again. He wasn’t used to it. 

“I…see,” he finally said. 

“You is you and Yuta is Yuta,” Hari shrugged and got up. “That’s all that matter and he’ll see that one day, I’m sure.” 

Fuji smiled and nodded. 

“I hope you’re right,” he said. 

“Of course I am, Shu-chan,” Hari grinned. “Are you ready for the tournament soon?” 

“Saa,” Fuji smiled with his eyes closed and Hari rolled her eyes. That was the Fuji she knew. 

 

When Hari was back in her room she wondered about the Fuji she had gotten to see today. He had not been his usual self, but he clearly felt bad for how his brother was treated because of him. She had a feeling that Fuji never really talked about it to anyone and was glad he had opened up to her. 

After all the help he had given her with her practice she was happy to offer some sort of help back, at least she hoped that it helped him to talk about it. 

She frowned as she stared down at the picture she had of Ron playing around with Fred and George over Christmas in the empty common room. Yuta really was a lot like Ron in many ways, only Ron wasn’t bitter and angry. At least not anymore. 

People were cruel and judgmental. She hated how they expected someone to be like someone else just because they were family. Like how Yuta had to be just like Fuji just because he was his little brother. Idiots. They couldn’t see that they were separate persons. 

It wasn’t just Ron and his brothers she saw in Yuta and Fuji. She saw herself as well. Actually, she could easily picture herself in both of them. People expected her to be like her parents all the time, a prankster and troublemaker like James, smart and fierce like Lily. It was tough to be faced with those expectations all the time. But she could understand Fuji as well, because she had heard people talk back at Hogwarts about how Ron and Hermione was her best friend and that they must be just like her and had to live up to that.

She hated it. 

 

“Hari!” Ryoma scowled at her and had his arms crossed over his chest. She had just arrived home from school seeing there was no practice today and Ryoma had already been gone when she left the school. 

“Ryo-chan?” Hari blinked at him. 

“Where have you been this last week?” Ryoma asked. “You’ve been disappearing a lot lately!” 

“Just been practising tennis,” Hari said. 

She looked at him and saw what was bothering him as she noticed the way he pouted even as he scowled and glared at her. She smiled slightly and threw an arm over his shoulder. 

“Want to play a match against me?” she asked. 

He relaxed and nodded. 

“Daijobu,” he said. 

“Just let me change and put my bag away,” she said and jogged up the stairs. 

He was waiting for her when she got back downstairs and they left the house together and made their way to the shrine and the court there. Nanjiro had already left for the day so they had the place for themselves. 

They started their match automatically and without needing to say anything. Hari smiled as she fell into the familiarity of playing against Ryoma like this. Neither went all out at first just content to rally the ball back and forth. 

Her mind couldn’t help but drift over to Fuji and Yuta. They should share tennis like this as well as they used to do. She remembered the angry voice that Yuta had used while talking to her before Fuji showed up. He had really wanted to use that court, she thought. 

_I wonder why,_ she mused. 

For him to come back to it even with the history it had, and even claim it when it was occupied must mean something. She remembered Fuji’s tired eyes and how resigned he had looked over the fact that his brother had purposely distanced himself from him. But Yuta couldn’t be that far off when he returned like that… 

“Ready to step it up, Ryo-chan?” Hari called over. 

“You bet!” Ryoma smirked and she couldn’t help but smirk back. 

The match intensified and Hari grinned as she rushed after a ball that tried to sneak past her. She jumped and stretched her racket out feeling it connecting and hit it back toward the net. In a fluent movement, she rolled over and got to her feet so she was ready when he returned the ball again. 

“Nice move,” Ryoma said. 

“Arigatou,” Hari smiled. 

Hari managed to return another one and grimaced as he returned it easily and this time it slipped past her. 

“Next one is mine!” She said. 

“Good luck with that,” he smirked. 

She rolled her eyes. 

 

Hari sighed as she shook her head at Momoshiro who was eating (again) behind his book that he had popped up to hide from the teacher who was standing at the front lecturing and pointing at the blackboard. 

Honestly, he was such a glutton. So like Ron… 

“Oi! MOMOSHIRO!” 

The yell startled everyone as the teacher had noticed Momoshiro eating and threw a book at the boy who looked up guiltily. 

“…sorry?” He chuckled sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head. 

Hari chuckled before taking on a blank look when the teacher looked toward her having heard the chuckle. 

“Pay attention in class,” the teacher snapped. 

“Hai,” Momoshiro sighed. 

Hari glanced at him and smiled slightly as she continued to take notes. At least with Momoshiro in the class, it wasn’t boring. 

 

Lunch happened and Hari was about to get up when Hira and Sora came toward her. 

“Hey guys,” Hari smiled. “Doshita?” 

“It’s been ages since you’ve had lunch with us,” Sora said. 

“Ah,” Hari nodded. “Then, maybe you would like to join me now?” 

They nodded and smiled as they followed her out of the classroom. Hari noticed that Kaido was staying and had a bento already on the desk in front of him. 

“Hey Ka-chan!” She yelled as she popped her head into the classroom again. 

“Hai?” he looked up at her. 

“Do you want to come with us?” Hari asked. 

He shook his head, “no thanks.” 

Hari gave him a look before she shrugged. 

“Daijobu,” she said. “See you later, then!” 

He nodded and waved. 

“I can’t believe you’re that casual with him,” Sora said after a moment. 

Hari glanced at her. 

“Why?” Hari asked. 

“He’s…so scary,” Sora admitted. 

“Nah,” Hari denied. “He’s not. He’s just misunderstood. Ka-chan is really sweet.” 

Hira snorted and Hari narrowed her eyes at him. He held up his hands. 

“Just found it funny that you called him sweet,” Hira said. 

Hari huffed and looked away but before she could say anything someone collided with her and she had to take a step back to avoid falling. She glanced around and found Tomoka sitting on the floor and rubbed her head. 

“Are you alright, Tomoka-chan?” Hari asked concerned reaching out to help the younger girl to her feet. 

“I’m fine,” Tomoka said and smiled slightly. “I’m sorry, Hari-chan!” 

“Are you sure?” Sakuno asked her friend stepping up to them. 

“Yeah,” Tomoka nodded. 

“Saa, no problem;” Hari smiled and blinked. She might have spent too much time with Fuji if she was starting to use his favourite word. 

“Where are you going in such a hurry?” she asked. 

“We’re going to find Ryoma-sama!” Tomoka beamed. “Sakuno has baked a cake and we’re going to ask if Ryoma-sama wants some!” 

Hari blinked bemusedly at the two younger girls and noticed that Sakuno blushed and was refusing to meet her eyes. How cute. 

“And look at this!” Tomoka said and held up a large plaque with a picture of Ryoma and his name written on it and some cheers. “I’ve made it for the tournament tomorrow!” 

“That’s really nice of you,” Hari smiled at the girl who just beamed back. Hari couldn’t help but admire the dedication the two girls’ showed in supporting Ryoma even if the boy didn’t really notice. “You should go before lunch is over.” 

Tomoka nodded and waved while Sakuno gave her a shy smile and hurried after her friend. 

“…that was….” Sora stared after them with a wide-eyed look but she didn’t continue as she seemed lost for words. 

 

Hari stretched as she started to put her books back in her bag at the end of the last lesson and waved at Sora and Hira who already was about to leave the classroom but stopped when Ryoma burst through the door making them take a step back to avoid colliding with him. 

“Ryo-chan?” Hari asked as she put her bag over her shoulder and noticed Momoshiro and Kaido pause as well. 

“I need to talk to you, Hari,” Ryoma said ignoring everyone else. 

“Sure,” Hari said feeling confused and worried. She wasn’t sure what had him coming to find her when they would have met at the tennis court soon anyway. 

She followed Ryoma out of the classroom after telling Momoshiro and Kaido that she would meet them at the court. 

“What’s wrong, Ryo-chan?” Hari asked when they were by themselves. 

“Karupin is at the school,” Ryoma said and Hari arched a brow. 

“He is?” 

“I saw him,” Ryoma said, “and then someone said they saw a cat (or they called him a racoon) at the roof but when I got there he was gone and…” 

Hari had not really seen this frantic and worried side of Ryoma before and she couldn’t help but pull him into a hug and felt how tense he was until he relaxed and allowed her to calm him down. 

“We’ll find him,” Hari said. “I’ll help you look, alright?” 

Ryoma nodded and Hari pulled away. 

“First you will go and check the tennis courts and if he’s not there you’ll ask Momo-chan if you can borrow his bike and go home to see if Karupin has gone back on his own,” Hari told Ryoma who nodded quietly. “I will look through the school and the area around, alright?” 

Again he nodded. Hari took his hand and squeezed it in comfort. 

“We’ll find him;” she promised again. 

 

Hari walked through the school looking for the Himalayan cat but no luck. She looked in every classroom and every corner she could think of before she came to the conclusion that Karupin was not inside the school. 

She walked outside and saw that the practice seemed to have started but she turned away from the courts and walked toward the opposite side of the schoolyard. She knew how much Karupin meant to Ryoma and she would help him find his cat. 

She looked and looked and even jumped the wall to see if he had left the school. She wandered the streets and called for Karupin but no cat came and she was wondering if perhaps the cat had made his way home by himself. 

She sighed as she stopped and looked around. 

Of course. 

She raised a hand and rubbed the back of her head as she looked around at the unfamiliar buildings and sighed. 

“Baka,” she muttered to herself. “Of course, I’m lost. Again.” 

She had no idea what direction she had come from or even how far she was from the school. She shook her head and started to walk down a street and hoped that she would recognise something. 

Seriously how hard could it be to find Seigaku again? Or even just a street she recognised and find her way home from there? 

Apparently it could be very hard because thirty minutes later she was still lost and walking through streets she had no idea where was, she was sure she had walked in a circle a couple of times but that didn’t really help her. 

She blinked when the sound of the phone interrupted her walking and she pulled it out and answered without checking on how it was from. 

“Hello?” 

_“Hari-chan,”_ A familiar soft voice greeted. 

“Ah, Sei-chan,” Hari smiled recognising the voice. “How are you? Back home, right?” 

_“Hai,”_ he said, _“I just left school and overseeing the tennis practice.”_

She knew he wasn’t allowed to play yet and had until now also stayed away from the practice, but she had talked him into trying to just take part in what he could. 

“And?” she pressed. 

_“It went fine,”_ he said. _“I really wanted to play, but it was great seeing the team again and being with them even if I had to just watch.”_

“That’s good,” Hari smiled. “I told you that you might like it.” 

_“I know,”_ she could hear him smile. _“So, am I interrupting your practice?”_

“Nah,” Hari said. “I didn’t go to practice today.” 

She explained her mission to find Karupin and ended with, “…and now I’m lost.” 

He was silent for a moment before he sighed. 

_“I have a feeling that this is a recurring thing with you, Hari-chan,”_ he said. 

“It’s not!” Hari protested before she paused, “well, I don’t do it on purpose.” 

_“Of course you don’t,”_ he sighed. _“…you do realise that you are talking to me on your phone, right?”_

“Well, yeah,” Hari rolled her eyes. “I think I realise that. Why?” 

_“And that means that you have a phone and could have called your brother or someone to help you find your way back, right?”_ he said. 

Hari paused in her walk and gaped. 

Oh. 

“…I forgot,” she said. 

_“Hari-chan…”_ he sighed. _“You sure make me worry.”_

She blushed and wondered why her heart suddenly felt like it was beating so hard in her chest. Had she walked faster than she had realised? Maybe she was getting tired? 

“Well, I…um,” she stuttered slightly. “Fine. I will call someone when I’ve finished talking to you, ok?” 

_“Good,”_ he said. 

She suddenly heard the sound of a ball hitting the pavement and paused as she looked to her left and saw a large staircase made of stone and the sound was coming from the top. She let her curiosity win and started to walk up the stairs even as she continued talking with Seiichi. 

She paused when she reached the top and saw that there was a tennis court there not that different from the street court where she had first met An. Thinking about An reminded her that she should see her soon… 

She trailed off in her conversation with Seiichi as she recognized the boy who was playing tennis by himself. It was Yuta. 

_“Hari-chan?”_ Seiichi’s voice brought her back. 

“Ah, sorry, Sei-chan,” Hari said. “I have to go, but we’ll talk later?” 

_“Alright,”_ he said, _“let me know when you get home.”_

“Fine,” Hari rolled her eyes but smiled slightly. 

 

Hari sat down on the bench and watched Yuta who had yet to notice her. She knew she should let him know she was there, but she wanted to get a feeling of him before she talked to him. She was very aware that she had told Fuji to give his younger brother time and not pressure him so she should just go back down and pretend that she hadn’t seen him. 

But she couldn’t do that. Her curiosity and concern for Fuji had her staying and observing the boy who was the same age as her. He had a more open expression on his face now and even smiled once as he managed a move he had been practising. 

Suddenly he stopped and spun around so he saw her and he immediately scowled at her. 

“What are you doing here?!” He demanded stomping over to her and glared. “Are you spying one me?! Did he send you here to spy?!” 

Hari snorted and he blinked. 

“Why would I spy on you?” Hari arched a brow. 

“You….” He started but stopped before narrowing his eyes as he stared at her. “Then what are you doing here?” 

Hari shrugged and stood up as she looked around. 

“I got lost,” she grimaced. 

“Lost?” he echoed. 

“Yup,” she nodded seriously before sighing. “I don’t even know how I managed it this time… But it was Karupin’s fault.” 

He had lost the glare as he just stared at her in confusion. 

“Karupin?” 

“My little brother’s cat,” Hari nodded, “he followed Ryo-chan to school today and I promised to help look for him and…well, here I am and it’s clearly Karupin’s fault.” 

She noticed that Yuta looked at her with a look that clearly questioned her sanity but at least he had lost his hostility. 

“Then go on and get lost,” he suddenly snapped. 

…and found it again. She sighed. 

“Ie,” she said. 

“What?” He glared. 

“I said; no,” she repeated calmly. “I don’t think so.” 

“I was here first,” Yuta said. “And you’re friends with him so you will spy on me and I will lose my chance on beating him.” 

Hari titled her head curiously as she watched him. 

“Stop looking at me like that!” He demanded. 

“Like what?” Hari asked innocently. 

“Like…like…” he seemed unable to find words and she smiled. 

“Well,” she said, “I was just thinking that you’re a good tennis player.” 

He frowned and looked at her warily. 

“But not as good as my brother, right?” he seemed unable to keep the question in and there was a bitter note in his voice. 

Hari arched a brow. 

“I never said that,” she said quietly. 

“But you thought it,” Yuta accused and turned his back to her and took a couple of steps away from her. 

“You don’t know what I thought so I would ask that you don’t assume anything,” Hari said her voice slightly cold and he stopped walking. “I didn’t think that either, by the way.” 

He didn’t turn to face her but she could tell he was waiting for her to say something. 

“Well,” she smiled her voice returning to normal. “I will look forward to seeing you play and I can tell that you really love tennis. I’m really interested in your style.” 

“My style?” he turned and she saw the wary yet curious look on his face. 

“Yeah, I like it,” Hari smiled. “I hope I’ll get to play you one day, Yuta-san.” 

He stared at her in silence for a long moment and didn’t seem to know if he should believe her or not. She just smiled at him. 

“You want to play me?” he finally asked. 

“Yeah, I would like that,” Hari nodded. 

He scoffed and folded his arms over his chest as he looked away from her and a blush covered his cheeks. 

“It won’t be like playing nii-san,” he said. 

“I don’t expect it to be like playing Shu-chan,” Hari said before glancing at the clock. “Ouch. I have to go… um, could you direct me in the direction of Seigaku?” 

He stared at her and then scoffed again but she had a feeling that he was just hiding behind his gruff exterior and wasn’t actually that angry right now. 

“That way,” he said and nodded in the opposite direction of where she had been headed. “Just keep straight and you should find it.” 

Hari nodded. 

“Alright,” she smiled and waved. “See you later, Yuta-san!” 

He huffed and turned away from her. 

“Oi!” 

She turned around as she was halfway down the stairs and looked up to see him standing at the top looking down at her. 

“What?” she asked. 

“Namae nante iu no?” he said a blush colouring his cheeks. 

“Echizen Hari,” Hari grinned and waved. 

 

Hari finally found her way back to Seigaku and wasn’t surprised when she found it empty. She sighed and made her way back home hoping that Karupin had turned up because she knew Ryoma would be upset if not. 

“Hari!” Ryoma called when she entered the house and she looked up to see him entering the hallway from the living room. “Karupin is back!” 

“That’s great,” Hari smiled. 

“Where were you?” Ryoma asked. 

“Well…” Hari looked away. 

“You got lost again, didn’t you?” he sighed. 

“Maybe,” she admitted and he sighed. 

“Of course you did,” he said. 

“Hey! This time it’s Karupin’s fault!” Hari defended herself. 

Ryoma just gave her his best-deadpanned look and she huffed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally a new chapter! I'm really sorry for the delay in this update! I will try not to let it be this long between updates again, but I can't promise anything... 
> 
> So, what do you think? Fuji might seem out of character but I just thought it would be nice if he had someone to confide in and Hari is a good listener. They've spent time together as Fuji is helping Hari with a new move and I think their friendship has grown from there... Hope you liked it. 
> 
> Next chapter should involve Atobe again and maybe a little peek at how Ron and Hermione are doing. XD
> 
> Thank you so much for your patience and support! 
> 
> Japanese words used:  
> Motto hayaku - Faster  
> Damare - Shut up  
> Ie - No  
> Saa - Filler  
> Daijobu - Alright  
> Arigatou - Thank you  
> Doshita - What's up?  
> Hai - Yes  
> Baka - Idiot  
> Nii-san - Older brother  
> Namae nante iu no - What's your name?


	20. The start of the Tokyo preliminaries

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing!

“I don’t know,” Hari said again when asked where Ryoma was. “I left early today because I had to stop by a place before I came here.” 

It was true. She had to drop some of her homework for her magic lessons off with her mentor Hisakawa at a small office downtown before arriving at the courts that held the Tokyo Prefecture matches this year. 

“Arhg!” Horio yelled. 

“What a day to be late!” 

Hari rubbed the back of her neck as she took in the anxious expressions of those around her and even Inoue and Shiba looked nervous. She did feel a little worried as well. She really hoped that Ryoma was alright and that nothing had happened to him. 

“I’ll call home and see if he’s still there,” Hari said and walked away from them to make the call. 

She waited for someone to answer the phone and ignored the crowd around her as she did. 

_“Hello?”_ Nanako answered the phone. 

“Nanako-san,” Hari greeted. “Is Ryo-chan still home?” 

_“Hari-chan?”_ Nanako asked. _“Oh, um, he just ran out of here in a hurry. He barely looked dressed…”_

Hari could hear the worry in her voice and sighed. 

“So he overslept,” Hari grumbled. 

_“He did?”_ Nanako asked. _“Well, he’s on his way…”_

“Yeah,” Hari said. “Thank you, Nanako-san. Talk to you later.” 

_“Of course,”_ Nanako said. _“Bye, Hari-san.”_

Hari hung up and sighed as she rubbed her eyes tiredly. Maybe she should have dragged him with her when she left. Seriously… 

“Baka,” she grumbled just as she turned on her heel to walk back to her team and let them know but she walked straight into a solid mass and stumbled back and fell to the ground with an undignified yelp. 

“Itee,” she muttered as she looked up to see what she had walked into this time. She blinked. 

“Oh, this seems familiar,” a laughing voice said and Hari glanced to the side to see Kamio laugh as he watched her. 

“You’re in my way again,” Hari grumbled as she got to her feet and glared at Ibu who glared back at her. 

“It’s not my fault that you don’t watch where you’re going,” Ibu said. “I was just walking and I can’t be blamed when you just walk straight into me and fall down. You should have learned from last time…” 

“Ibu,” Tachibana sighed and Ibu shut up. “Are you alright, Hari-san?” 

Hari smiled at him and rubbed her forehead sheepishly. 

“I’m fine, Tachibana-kun,” she said. “I guess it was my fault this time.” 

“That’s good,” Tachibana nodded. 

“Hari-chan!” An suddenly joined them and ran over to her and hugged her. Hari stiffened for a moment before she hugged the other girl back and smiled. 

“Hey, An-chan,” Hari smiled. 

“Why aren’t you with your team this time, Hari-chan?” An asked when she let go of Hari. “Are you lost again?” 

“What?! No, of course not!” Hari protested indignantly. “I was just calling home because Ryo-chan is late.” 

An gave her a suspicious look but let it go and rolled her eyes at the last part. 

“He really is your brother, Hari-chan,” An sighed exasperatedly. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?!” Hari frowned at her. “Of course he’s my brother, but that’s no reason to say it like that.” 

An just laughed as Hari pouted much to the amusement of the rest of Fudomine who were watching them. 

“So, you have been busy lately,” An said. 

“I guess,” Hari shrugged, “I was thinking on calling you soon, though.” 

“We should get together soon,” An nodded. “I want to hear about your latest adventure of getting lost.” 

“Whatever,” Hari mumbled feeling a blush rising in her cheeks and looked away from An who was looking way too amused. “I have to go and find the others. Good luck with your matches today!” 

“Bye,” An and some of the others said and Tachibana nodded at her. 

“Don’t get lost now!” 

 

Hari frowned as she looked around the crowd and wondered where the others had gone because they weren’t at the place she had left them. She sighed as she took to the right and hoped she would find them that way. She really hadn’t thought about how large this place was. 

“Oi!” She blinked and looked to the side to see Yuta staring at her. 

“Oh, Yuta-kun,” she said. “I didn’t see you there.” 

He frowned at her. 

“What are you doing walking around like that?” Yuta asked. 

“Why? Can’t I?” she blinked at him. 

“You’re lost again,” he accused. 

“Of course I’m not lost!” Hari said wondering why everyone always assumed that even someone who she had only met twice before! “The others just moved and didn’t tell me where!” 

“Right,” he said in a voice that clearly said he didn’t believe her. 

She huffed. “What do you want, Yuta-kun?” 

“Nothing,” he looked away and she noticed the uncomfortable look on his face.

“Hm,” she hummed. “You’re playing us today, aren’t you?” 

He looked at her again. 

“I bet you wish to play Shu-chan,” Hari continued. 

“I’ll beat him!” Yuta declared. 

“I see,” Hari nodded. “I look forward to seeing you play!” 

She waved and started to walk again. 

 

“Where did Hari disappear to, nya?” Kikumaru looked around. 

The others looked around as well and sighed as one.

“We should have followed her,” Momoshiro groaned. 

“What are we going to do, Tezuka-Captain?!” Horio exclaimed. 

Tezuka just sighed and just then a buzzing sound sounded and everyone turned toward Fuji who pulled out his phone. He smiled. 

“She says Echizen is on his way and that we should register without him,” he said, “maybe have Horio pretend to be Echizen or something because they’re almost the same size. And…” 

“And?” Kaido asked gruffly. 

“And…we have to stop moving around because she can’t find us,” Fuji smiled. 

They stared at him. 

“That girl!” Momoshiro suddenly yelled. “She’s lost again!” 

Inui scribbled in his notebook muttering about data and shaking his head as he listed the probabilities of her finding them on her own. 

“I guess we should do as she says,” Ryuzaki said and looked at Horio who blinked and suddenly looked very nervous. “Kaido, lend him your jersey!” 

She tossed him a cap and Kaido reluctantly gave his jacket for Horio to put over his t-shirt. He looked like he was swimming in it but they had no other choice. 

“I will get Echizen for this,” Horio swore as he followed the regulars feeling very nervous. 

“Good plan, though,” Kikumaru commented as he glanced over at Horio who was looking rather pale. 

“Yes,” Oishi nodded. “Well, we should get the register matter done soon.” 

 

“He didn’t need to make the jacket so dirty, though,” Horio was saying dejectedly. “It was Kaido-sempai’s!” 

Hari glanced at the dejected boy who held up the blue and white jacket that looked rather filthy. 

“What did you do to it?” Hari asked curiously making Horio and the other freshmen jump and spin around to stare at her. 

“Hari-chan!” they all yelled. “You found us again!” 

“You all kept moving around,” Hari muttered. “It’s not my fault.” 

“It is!” Horio yelled. 

Hari pouted. 

“Well,” she said and looked at Horio. “What did you do to the jacket? Is it Ka-chan’s?” 

“Hai,” Horio said miserably. “Echizen had to go and get it dirty…” 

“Oooo,” Hari tilted her head and smiled slightly. “Give it here.” 

“Eh?” Horio looked at her. 

“I’ll help you,” she smiled. “Give it to me and I’ll fix it.” 

“Really?” Horio asked hopefully. 

“Sure,” Hari nodded and took the jacket. 

She walked to the bathroom and noticed that the freshmen followed but they waited outside. She was pleased with that. She looked around and saw that there was no one inside the bathroom and quickly pulled out her wand. 

So, okay, she wasn’t really supposed to do magic outside like this. But, the Japanese Ministry of Magic had granted her permission to use magic outside of school and had removed the trace from her wand. Mostly because she needed to be able to use her magic when she did her magical homework. 

“Scourgify!” she said with her wand pointed at the jacket. 

The jacket quickly turned back to the clear white and blue colour and held no trace of the dirt that had been on it. She smiled. She was very pleased that she had learned that charm. 

She walked outside again and presented the jacket to Horio who stared at it wide-eyed. 

“How…?” he started. 

“Himitsu,” she winked. 

“Thank you!” he looked close to tears in his relief and she reached out and ruffled his hair as she would do to Ryoma. 

“No problem,” she said and started to walk. “Come on. We should find the others.” 

“You’re going the wrong way,” Tomoka yelled and Hari froze. 

 

They found the rest and Hari had to endure teasing from Fuji about getting lost again and she glared at him but couldn’t help but smile slightly as well. She noticed Ryoma standing by Momoshiro and was dressed in his tennis clothes so he looked ready for the match that was just about to start. 

She stood at their sides and watched them all fly through the first round and everyone winning their match. She smiled and cheered with the others even as she noticed the dark-haired boy standing on the other side watching as well. She wasn’t sure who he was but she could tell that Inui also noticed him. 

 

Tezuka glanced at Fuji who was quiet and didn’t really take part in any conversation that took place around them. He knew what was on his friend's mind. Fuji Yuta. They would be playing his team next and Tezuka knew it would be a difficult team to meet, he had heard Inui’s reasons and worries about the team manager. 

A groan followed by laughter had Tezuka look to see Ryoma being locked in a headlock by Hari who ruffled his hair and in the process made the white cap Ryoma normally wore fall to the ground. Not surprising it was Momoshiro and Kikumaru who laughed at the younger boy’s misfortune. 

“Hari!” Ryoma complained trying to get free from his sisters hold. “Let me go.” 

“Ie,” Hari refused. “You won your match! Congratulation, ototo!” 

“Why do I have to be the youngest one,” Ryoma complained and Hari laughed. 

Tezuka felt a smile twitch on his lips but he soon pushed it back as he watched. He noticed that Fuji also watched and smiled slightly if not a little sadly. 

“Take the complaint to Nanjiro and Rinko,” Hari quipped. “But I don’t think it’ll help. You’re my cute little brother.” 

“I’m not cute,” Ryoma protested. 

“Yes, you are,” Hari said. 

“No, I’m not,” Ryoma said.

“Yes, you are,” Hari said again and Tezuka sighed. 

The atmosphere in the team was better as they watched the two siblings and Tezuka wondered just how strong Hari was to keep Ryoma from escaping her hold or maybe Ryoma wasn’t trying all that hard. 

As he watched he was reminded that he had to watch Hari play again soon. He had a feeling that she had taken large steps in the right direction in her play. He noticed how she had held back during practice and that she seemed to be closer to Fuji lately. 

“You’ve been spending time with Hari-san lately, Fuji,” Tezuka said and Fuji glanced at him. 

“Hai,” Fuji nodded. “She’s becoming a good friend.” 

Tezuka glanced at him and nodded thoughtfully. He looked over at them again and noticed that Ryoma had gotten free and was now chasing Hari who laughed freely a sound that was contagious and spread happiness in those who heard it. Even if Tezuka never would admit it out loud. 

“Well, well,” someone spoke up and Tezuka suddenly noticed that Atobe Keigo had walked up to them and was watching Hari and Ryoma with something in his onyx eyes that looked like jealousy, but Tezuka was not sure because it was gone as quickly as it came. “What a happy scene, Hari-chan.” 

Tezuka noticed the familiar way he addressed Hari, but most addressed her by her first name so it didn’t necessarily mean anything. He did notice that Ryoma tensed and immediately glared at Keigo who only looked at Hari now. 

“Keigo,” Hari smiled slightly as she waved at him. 

Tezuka wasn’t the only one surprised by the use of his first name if the looks the others exchanged was anything to go by. He looked closer at Hari and then over at Keigo. He remembered, of course, he did, when Keigo had come to Seigaku a little while ago and had talked to Hari. He never knew what they talked about and Hari never said anything about it to anyone. At least not that he knew off. 

“I had forgotten that you would be here as well,” Hari said. 

“I’m the Great Atobe Keigo!” Keigo said dramatically, “of course I’m here!” 

Tezuka felt like rolling his eyes but refrained but he did notice that Momoshiro and Kikumaru snorted quietly at the dramatics of Keigo and Hari actually did roll her eyes and muttered something that sounded like: _“just like Malfoy”_ under her breath. 

“Yeah, yeah,” Hari waved her hand. “What are you doing here?” 

“I came to get you,” Keigo declared. “So, come!” 

Tezuka arched a brow as he took in the order and was not sure he liked it. Hari didn’t move, though but that might be because Ryoma placed himself in front of her and glared at Keigo. 

“Don’t order Hari-chan around!” Momoshiro yelled before Ryoma could say anything. 

“Yeah! Hari-chan is our friend and you can’t just come here and just take her, nya!” Kikumaru said. 

Tezuka watched in silence as the two loudmouths protested and noticed that Kaido was also looking serious and was glaring at Keigo. Oishi looked more worried than angry, but that was typical Oishi. Kawamura looked curious and slightly amused as he watched, while Inui was, of course, scribbling in his notebook. Fuji was watching curiously but had a small frown on his face. 

Keigo just arched a brow as he looked them over before his eyes landed on Ryoma who glared silently at him. Again there was that look in Keigo’s eyes and Tezuka couldn’t really understand why the two suddenly seemed to be in a glaring battle. 

Suddenly Ryoma moved and Tezuka was about to move as well because he could tell that the younger boy was about to attack the Hyotei Captain, and Tezuka couldn’t allow that, but Hari reacted before he could and grabbed Ryoma’s arm and pulled him back. 

They all tensed. 

Tezuka frowned as he looked at Ryoma seriously as he was curious and worried about what caused the boy to react like this. He normally never moved to actually hit anyone, verbally insult them – yes. Hit them –no. 

What was going on here? 

“Ryo-chan, calm down,” he heard Hari tell her little brother. 

“Hn,” Ryoma looked away and folded his arms over his chest. 

“Keigo,” Hari frowned and looked away from Ryoma. “Are you trying to start a fight?” 

“Of course not,” Keigo said coolly. 

Hari sighed. 

“Then maybe you should use the manners I know your parents installed in you and actually ask and not order,” Hari said. 

“I want to introduce you to my team,” he said after a pause. “So, will you please come with me?” 

Tezuka arched a brow in surprise and looked at Hari who was watching Keigo before she nodded. 

“Captain, I will be back soon,” she said and glanced at Tezuka. 

“Hari,” Ryoma frowned. 

“Don’t worry, Ryo-chan,” Hari smiled at him. “I’ll be back soon.” 

 

Ryoma scowled as he watched Hari walk away with Keigo and Kabaji chatting with them easily and he couldn’t help the worry that she was slipping away.

“What was that?!” Momoshiro asked. 

Ryoma just shrugged and crossed his arms over his chest and looked away. He didn’t want to talk about it. 

“I didn’t know she was close to him,” Kawamura commented questioningly. 

“Me neither,” Kikumaru frowned. “Ochibi-chan?” 

Ryoma walked away without saying anything and sat down on a bench and stared at the ground looking like he was in deep thoughts. 

“Perhaps its best if we do not talk about it,” Oishi frowned.

“But Oishi…” Kikumaru whined. 

“It’s none of our business, Eiji,” Oishi said firmly. “There’s clearly something going on that we don’t know.” 

Sakuno and Tomoka exchanged looks before they looked over at Ryoma. They had never seen him like this before. He seemed distracted and almost sad or worried, maybe, and just because Hari went to meet this Atobe Keigo’s team. Why? 

 

“Honestly, Keigo,” Hari frowned at him. “You know they’re going to be asking me a lot of questions now.” 

“So?” Keigo huffed. 

“So it’s going to be boring to have to answer them,” Hari said. 

“Then don’t,” Keigo shrugged. “Now, come on. My team is over here.” 

Hari sighed and followed him over to the group that was sitting around some picnic tables and chatting. She did notice that some of them were not in their training clothes and she frowned slightly as she took them in. Why would not all of them look like they would be playing tennis at all? What was Keigo thinking? 

“Captain is here,” a boy with long brown hair tied back said and he looked to be one of the few who had his team t-shirt on and looked ready to play. 

“Who are you?” a boy with short dark red hair asked frowning at Hari. 

Hari just tilted her head curiously as she stared back at him but she hid the nerves she felt at the fact that they all stared at her. She blinked at him. 

“Who are you?” She asked. “It’s polite, you know, to introduce yourself before demanding a name from someone you don’t know.” 

They all stared at her shocked and Keigo sighed closing his eyes for a moment before he opened them again and his face was back at the normal confident look. 

“Echizen Hari, meet my team,” he said and listed their names in quick succession as he pointed them out for Hari who gave them curious looks but kept her face blank. “Team, meet Hari-chan.” 

Hari waved at them and noticed the way they seemed to be seizing her up, especially the one with longish blue hair and glasses. He seemed very calm and collected and she could instantly tell that he was the kind to analyse everything around him, Keigo had called him Oshitari Yushi. 

The one who had asked or rather demanded to know who she was – was frowning at her and if she remembered correctly his name was Mukahi Gakuto or something like that. He seemed rather prickly if Hari was being honest. 

Shishido Ryo with the long brown hair had looked away from her and seemed to be preparing his tennis equipment instead of paying her any attention and she found that she kind of approved of this. If only because it was one pair of eyes less that was watching her. 

The other one she took notice of was the one with silvery-grey hair and kind smile that was looking the most welcoming of the group. Hari had to think for a moment to remember the name Keigo had used for him… oh, yeah, Otori Chotaro. 

She glanced to the boy who was lying on his back sound asleep and had to admire the fact that he could sleep that peacefully at a place like this. His name was Akutagawa Jiro if Hari remembered correctly. 

“Hello,” Otori smiled. “Nice to meet you, Echizen-san.” 

“You too, Otori-san,” she smiled shyly. “Also, just call me Hari. Most everyone does.” 

“Al-alright,” he nodded and glanced at Keigo almost as if he was asking permission. 

Keigo sat down and motioned for Hari to do the same. She sighed. 

“So, how do you know our Captain?” Mukahi frowned with his arms crossed over his chest. “Are you his girlfriend?” 

Hari sighed. 

“Why does it have to be girlfriend/boyfriend every time I am seen with a boy?” she grumbled. 

Keigo smirked but he shook his head. 

“No, she’s a family friend,” he said. “Her mum was my godmother.” 

So he wasn’t going to hide the connection. She gave him a thoughtful look before she turned back to his team who blinked at them. She nodded to show that this was true. 

“So, are you here visiting?” Otori asked. 

“Nah,” Hari shook her head. “Keigo dragged me from my team to come here…” 

“I didn’t drag you,” Keigo frowned at her. 

“You pretty much did,” she smirked at him. 

He huffed. 

“Your team?” Shishido asked looking up from whatever he was doing. 

“She’s a part of Seigaku,” Keigo explained.

“I didn’t think the girls’ team played in this area today,” Oshitari commented as he pushed his glasses up his nose. 

“They don’t,” Hari deadpanned. 

“She’s on the boys’ team,” Keigo added when Hari didn’t say anything. 

“Not one of the regulars,” she said.

“Yet,” Keigo corrected. 

They stared at her again and she saw they all looked more interested in her now and some even got a contemplative look in their eyes as they watched her. She pretended she didn’t notice this. 

“So, you’re not going to start our school with Atobe-Captain?” Mukahi frowned. 

Keigo smirked. 

“I’m in the process of getting her to transfer over,” he said.

“Hm, interesting,” Oshitari said. 

Hari, however, was frowning at Keigo. 

“I’m not leaving Seigaku,” she frowned at him. 

“This is clearly the better school, Hari-chan;” Keigo said.

“That’s not necessarily true,” Hari scowled at him. “Honestly, I’m not going to transfer over to Hyotei. I like Seigaku.” 

“What’s to like about that school?” Mukahi sneered. “We’re clearly the best!” 

“Says you,” Hari gave him a blank look. “I don’t care.” 

Mukahi glared at her. 

“You’ll see that this school is the best, Hari-chan,” Keigo said and leaned forward slightly. “It can offer you the best subjects and possibilities for your future, and the tennis team is great. You will find your place with us. It’s how it was supposed to be.” 

Hari stood up and glared at Keigo. 

“I’m not leaving my brother,” she said. “Sorry, Keigo. I’m staying with Ryo-chan and Seigaku and there’s nothing you can say to change my mind about that.” 

 

She stalked away from them and didn’t even care that she was being rude. She was so… angry! She should have seen that Keigo had some sort of agenda with his seeking her out as he did. She should have seen it! Why hadn’t she questioned it? 

He shouldn’t have just said it like that. Like it was already decided and a done deal without talking to her about it first. She hated to have things sprung at her like that and being put in the spot like she had was… 

“Baka!” she snapped and ignored the way a boy jumped away from her and gave her a frightened look. 

She shook her head as she tried to calm down and push the anger away. She shouldn’t let Ryoma see her angry. He was worried enough. She remembered the worried look he had when she walked away with Keigo. She felt a stab of regret and upset as she remembered and how she had waved his concern off. She really shouldn’t have done that. Not when she could tell that he had been worried and if she came back upset…then his match would be ruined and she didn’t want that. He needed to be focused. 

She paused and took a deep breath before exhaling again and felt her body relax slightly as she did the exercises she had been practising to calm down. There was nothing she could do about it now. She would need to talk to Keigo later and make him understand that she wasn’t going anywhere and that she wanted to stay at Seigaku. 

In a way she should have seen this coming. He was very much like Malfoy in the sense that he felt entitled and had a right to demand things and expected them to be followed. She could, partly, understand him. In his mind he was right. He really thought she should be at Hyotei because had she been living with them, grown up with them, like she was supposed to, then she would most likely have gone to Hyotei as well. 

That didn’t mean that she liked the way he had just blurted it out there and talked like it was a done deal. She really hated that. 

No, she was getting angry again. She had to stop her thoughts. She worked to push the thoughts away as she had learned during her years at Hogwarts. With a last effort, she shook herself and started to walk again. 

She actually found the right court where Seigaku was going to play against St. Rudolph without getting lost and felt her mood get slightly better, though she frowned again when she saw the two teams standing to face each other outside of the court and Yuta seemed to be standing slightly in front of the rest of his team and glared at Ryoma. 

 

Yuta glared at the younger boy in front of him and felt really annoyed when he just got an indifferent look back. He knew he was going to be facing him in his match and felt a stab of annoyance toward Mizuki who had prevented him from playing his brother. He hadn’t said anything because he knew it wouldn’t do anything to change the boy's mind, but he didn’t by the fact about Mizuki having tried to match them up. 

“You name is Echizen Ryoma, right?” Yuta asked giving the dark-haired boy a sceptical look. He did his best to ignore Fuji standing right there, only a few steps behind Ryoma. 

“Hai,” Ryoma said. 

Yuta wondered because that was the last name of Fuji’s friend, Hari. Were they related? He didn’t think they looked like each other at all, but… maybe? He was curious. He had not been able to get her words out of his mind since he had seen her last. She thought he was a good player and she wanted to see _his_ style of tennis. She had even been angry when he had assumed that she thought that he wasn’t like his brother. 

She was weird but also…fascinating. He wanted to know more about her and know just what made her seem so believable. He had tried to push her words away as lies, but he couldn’t do it. Her tone, her expression had all been so sincere. 

_I will look forward to seeing you play and I can tell that you really love tennis. I’m really interested in your style._

The words echoed in his mind and had done so day and night. 

“You know Echizen Hari, then?” Yuta finally asked and thought he saw his brother stiffen slightly. 

Ryoma frowned at him. Finally a reaction, Yuta thought. 

“You know Hari?” Ryoma asked. 

“We’ve met,” Yuta said. “You have the same last name.” 

“That’s because Ryo-chan is my little brother, Yuta-kun,” Hari suddenly said and an arm was slung over Yuta’s shoulder and he stilled before glancing to his side and saw Hari right there and being really close to him. He fought the blush as he worked to glare at her. 

“Let go of me,” Yuta grumbled knowing he was blushing. 

Hari grinned and backed off holding up her arms in a disarming way. 

“Gomen,” she chuckled. “Couldn’t help myself when I saw you glaring at Ryo-chan. Are you two playing each other, perhaps?” 

“Hai,” Ryoma said. 

Hari glanced at him before looking back at Yuta who scowled. He tried to look disinterested but couldn’t help that he was looking at her. 

“You know Fuji-sempai’s little brother, Hari-chan?” Horio asked. 

Yuta stiffened as he glared and noticed the thoughtful look on Hari’s face as she watched him. He noticed how she glanced at his brother who didn’t say anything before she looked back at him. 

“I have met Yuta-kun a couple of times,” Hari finally said, “you shouldn’t refer to him as Shu-chan’s little brother. He is more than that, Horio-kun. Yuta-kun is Yuta-kun and Shu-chan is Shu-chan. It’s rude to just refer to someone as 'little brother' instead of by name.” 

Yuta couldn’t help the look of shock that crossed his face as he stared at Hari. She just gave him a small smile and turned to continue past him. 

“Good luck today, Yuta-kun,” she said as she looked over her shoulder and smirked at him, “I look forward to seeing your style. I’m sure it will be interesting.” 

“Ha-hai,” he mumbled. 

He watched as Hari patted Ryoma’s shoulder before walking over to his brother and whispered something and nudged his shoulder making him smile ever so slightly. 

He had no idea what to think about her. All he knew was that she was different from everyone else. 

 

Hari stood outside the fence watching the teams’ line-up and do the regular greeting. She had deliberately placed herself a little bit away from Sakuno and the rest of the first year and the two journalists. Right now she wasn’t in the mood to carry any conversation or listen to them talk, she knew she probably wouldn’t be left alone for long but right now they seemed inclined to let her be. 

She sighed as she looked at Ryoma who was looking pensive and glanced over at her from time to time. She hoped he would be able to focus on his match and not on whatever he was thinking about Keigo. She wasn’t really sure why Ryoma was so against Keigo in the first place. All she knew was that he got really grumpy and almost clingy when Keigo was mentioned. 

She watched as Momoshiro and Kaido prepared to play in the first doubles match. She blinked before a small smile crossed her lips. She guessed they could work if they just learned to work together. She would at least get some entertainment watching them. 

“You okay?” 

Hari blinked and looked to her side to realise that Fuji had joined her and even if he seemingly had his focus on Momoshiro and Kaido she knew he was also watching her. 

“I’m fine,” she said looking back at the match again. 

Fuji was silent for a moment and she felt a spark of amusement as she watched Kaido and Momoshiro growl at each other. She smiled slightly and felt something inside her lighten as she watched them. 

She looked at the boy with the red band around his head and thought he looked kind of familiar… she had seen his face before but she was pretty sure she had never seen him. She frowned. Where had she seen him? 

“So, I didn’t know you still had contact with Atobe,” Fuji suddenly said and Hari was interrupted in her attempt to place the teen on St. Rudolph. 

“Mm?” she glanced over at Fuji.

He was looking at her with a pensive look on his face. 

“I’ve met him a few times since he came to Seigaku,” she admitted. 

She could rarely say that she had seen Fuji surprised but it was clearly the main emotion on his face now but he schooled his expression quickly. 

“I didn’t know that,” Fuji said before getting a pondering look. “Are you dating?” 

Hari huffed and rolled her eyes. 

_“No,”_ she stressed but she knew Fuji would still be trying to figure it out and she wondered why she even kept it secret. It wasn’t like it was a secret, right? Keigo had told his team easily enough. She briefly frowned to herself before she sighed and gave Fuji a look. “My mum was his godmother. I never knew until the day he came to the school. I was supposed to have been growing up with his family when my parents died when I was a baby. That, obviously, didn’t happen and…well.” 

She shrugged and turned her eyes to the match again just as Momoshiro and Kaido won their second game now leading 2-1. 

“Huh,” Fuji said and Hari couldn’t help but think that this was very uncharacteristic of him so she glanced at him and saw that he looked surprised but his expression quickly turned pensive. “I didn’t expect that.” 

Hari smiled slightly and shrugged. 

“So, he just wanted to introduce his team to you?” Fuji asked. 

Hari scowled and clenched her hands tightly as the anger came back and she was reminded of what had happened. 

“Hari-chan?” Fuji sounded worried now. 

“He wants me to transfer over to Hyotei,” she admitted. 

“Nan da yo?” 

“I’m fine, Shu-chan, I won’t leave Seigaku. I like this school and you have all become my friends.” She gave him a genuine and soft smile before she nudged his shoulder. “So stop looking so worried, Shu-chan. And besides, we should be paying attention to the match. Ka-chan and Momo-chan seem to be having some trouble…” 

Fuji nodded and she knew that the conversation was over for now. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? :) Hoped you liked it! 
> 
> I just wanted to let you know some of my thoughts about how I cover the matches coming up. First of all, I love all of the matches played in PoT and find them all interesting and fun and I wished I could cover them all with Hari's commentary and view of the matches. I will do so for some of them, but I can't do it for all. Second, this story would get too long if I started to do that and I don't really think it will be all that interesting for you to read. That's why I will only focus on a few of the matches, one or two, against the teams they meet. Soon, Hari will also be with them to play in the matches as well. 
> 
> Thank you for reading and supporting my story! XD 
> 
> Japanese words used:  
> Baka - Idiot  
> Itee - Ouch  
> Himitsu - Secret  
> Ie - No  
> Ototo - Little brother  
> Hai - Yes  
> Gomen - Sorry  
> Sempai - upperclassman  
> Nan da you? - What?


	21. Seigaku vs. St. Rudolph

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing!
> 
>  
> 
> **parseltongue**

“Ah, sorry!” Yoshida exclaimed as she came to a stop beside Hari. Hari looked at her and saw that she was breathless from running and was leaning forward to rest her hands on her knees trying to catch her breath. 

“Yoshida-san,” Hari greeted. “I was wondering where you were.” 

“I had to watch my little brother until mum came home and she was late,” Yoshida complained. “I was running the entire way here!” 

“Ah,” Hari nodded. “Well, I’m sure it’s fine.” 

She groaned and sank down on the ground still breathing harder. 

“How are we doing?” Yoshida asked and glanced at the court. “We’re playing St. Rudolph now?” 

“Hai. Ma, Momoshiro and Kaido won their doubles match by default,” Hari said and saw the raised brow. “I know, but they actually played rather well together. Even if they were bickering the entire time. You missed an amusing match.” 

Yoshida smiled. 

“And, well, Kikumaru and Oishi lost their match,” Hari continued. 

“Eh? Really?” Yoshida asked surprised. 

“They fought very well,” Hari said, “they fought their way back into the match after getting behind and Kikumaru-sempai used up his stamina and Oishi-sempai had to fight alone using his moon-volley until Kikumaru-sempai came back. They managed to get the game to a tie-break and almost won but, unfortunately, it wasn’t enough.” 

“Ah, that’s too bad,” Yoshida said and grabbed Hari’s hand when she offered it to get back on her feet. “So, it’s Echizen’s game now?” 

“Yeah,” Hari nodded. “He’s playing Yuta-kun.” 

“Fuji-sempai’s little brother,” Kachiro said from behind them and Hari sighed and her jaw tightened. 

“I see,” Yoshida said looking between Hari and the first years with a questioning look. Hari ignored it and turned back to the court and glanced at Fuji who just smiled at them. 

“You okay, Shu-chan?” Hari asked him. 

“Of course,” Fuji smiled and Hari sighed. She would have believed him if not for the tension she detected in his smile but she doubted that anyone other than her and Tezuka noticed this and she saw Tezuka also give Fuji a concerned look.

 

“Yuta-kun is good,” Hari commented. 

“He has become stronger,” Fuji said not looking away from his little brother. 

Hari just smiled and watched them hit the ball back and forth for a while. 

“Ah, the Rising Shot,” Inoue commented his eyes watching Yuta. 

“Rising Shot?” Kachiro asked. 

“It’s a shot that returns the ball as soon as it bounces,” Inoue explained to the first years.

Hari tuned out Inui explaining and Yoshida adding something to his explanation as she focused on the match.

 

Game for St. Rudolph Fuji! 1 – 0 

 

“I can’t believe that Ryoma-kun lost the first game!” Tomoka cried. 

“This is bad!” Horio exclaimed. “It was bad enough that the opponent was a southpaw!” 

“This is a complicated situation for you, Fuji,” Tezuka said stepping up next to Fuji and Hari. 

“Why’s that?” Fuji asked smiling with his eyes closed before they opened and Hari was struck by the sadness they now betrayed. “I’m fine with it if Yuta’s okay with it.” 

Both Hari and Tezuka looked at him but he didn’t say anything else. Hari was concerned but knew better than to push him right then and looked back at the court where they were ready to start again and now it was Ryoma’s service game. 

“Hm,” Hari said and smiled slightly. “Looks like Ryo-chan is showing his best serve right off the bat.” 

She felt Fuji looking at her and when she glanced at him she saw the considering look he was giving her. 

“What?” She asked. 

“Nothing,” he smiled and looked back at the court. 

Stunned silence spread as they all stared at the court where Yuta just had returned Ryoma’s twist-serve. 

 

0-15

 

Hari pursed her lips considering as she looked at Yuta and noticed how angry he looked even though he returned a serve most people struggled against. She furrowed her brows as she watched him and felt a stab of worry for the boy who let his anger rule him. 

“I can’t believe that he has come this far,” Fuji spoke up quietly next to her. 

“Why not?” Hari asked glancing at him. “He is strong.” 

“I know that,” Fuji said, “but he wasn’t that strong the last time I saw him play.” 

Hari looked at him and then back at Yuta. 

“He looks angry,” she commented. 

“…yeah,” Fuji sighed. 

“And what are you going to do about it?” Hari asked him. 

Fuji frowned at her but didn’t seem to have an answer for her and she bit back a sigh as her eyes went to Ryoma who was…smiling? She blinked. 

“Huh,” she said. 

“What?” Fuji asked. 

“Ryo-chan is smiling,” Hari said. 

“Why?” Horio asked having heard her. 

“Well, he does like it when he’s challenged,” Hari said thoughtfully. “I guess that could be why…or…” 

“Or?” Mizuno asked. 

“Or he was testing Yuta’s skills,” Fuji said. “How well he could use his Super Rising.” 

“Eh?!” The first year trio exclaimed. 

“I guess that could be it,” Hari nodded. 

 

15-15

 

“Mada mada dane,” Ryoma’s voice travelled to where Hari was standing and she felt her lips twitch in a small smile. “I’ve faced much stronger lefties than you.” 

Hari glanced over at Tezuka who was stoically watching the game. She almost snorted but refrained. Yeah, she would say that Ryoma had faced stronger left-handed players than Yuta. She wondered what Tezuka was thinking as he watched them, did he think back on the time he had played Ryoma? Comparing him to this Ryoma? Too bad that he was so good at keeping his face straight. 

 

Game for Seigaku Echizen! 1-1

 

“Ryo-chan is having fun,” Hari smiled pleased. “I knew he would love playing against Yuta-kun.” 

“You don’t seem worried,” Yoshida said coming up to her. “Yuta-san has shown that he can cause trouble for Echizen.” 

Hari glanced at her. 

“Ryo-chan loves a good challenge,” she said. 

“You think Fuji’s little brother will challenge him more?” Horio asked. 

Hari felt a twitch settle in her brow as she gave Horio a stern look. 

“What did I say about calling him that?” She asked and Horio took a small step back. “And of course Yuta-kun will challenge Ryo-chan more. Yuta-kun hasn’t shown us all he can do yet.” 

Fuji nodded beside her and she wasn’t the only one who noticed the worried look he suddenly got. 

“This is the time for Yuta to shine,” Fuji suddenly said. 

“Hm?” Tezuka glanced at him. 

“Yuta always hated to lose,” Fuji remembered. “Even as a child.” 

Hari saw the smile that crossed Fuji’s lips as he clearly remembered something, probably about Yuta. She almost asked but stopped herself. She wasn’t going to pry into it and was just glad that Fuji seemed to remember something good about his little brother. 

 

0-15

 

Hari frowned and leaned forward slightly as she noticed the almost unnoticeable flinch in Yuta. What had made him flinch? He had just missed one ball and Ryoma was only in the lead by that one ball. So, why did it look like he got scared for a moment? 

He had just looked pensive and then glanced toward his manager and… her eyes snapped to the back of the manager seated on the bench. He was one of their players as well, Mizuki or something like that. She knew he was responsible for their data and Inui had said he was the one who had provided St. Rudolph with data on them making their matches that much harder. 

Her frown deepened. Just giving data to the players on their team wasn’t against the rules and she thought it was a smart move, but… something didn’t feel right. She wished she could get a look at the dark haired teen’s expression from where she was standing, but the only thing she could see was the back of his head. 

She felt her eyes widen when she saw the new stance Yuta was standing in and she heard the small gasp coming from Fuji in a rare moment of laps of control over his reactions to the match. 

Ryoma moved to return the ball but stopped when the ball hit the ground before twisting up straight at him and zoomed past his face and spun against the metallic fence behind and above him. 

“Nani datte?” 

“Twist Spin shot…” 

Hari looked at Yuta and saw how his right hand supported the wrist of his left hand still in the stance that he was in after following through on the shot. 

Impressive, but… something nagged at her as she looked between Ryoma and Yuta. Ryoma looked slightly impressed as he was looking over at Yuta while Yuta looked determined and angry. Like normal, she guessed. 

“I don’t know what to think,” she murmured quietly and didn’t notice that Yoshida glanced at her questioningly. 

 

Game for St. Rudolph Fuji! 3-1

 

It was clear that Yuta had the advantage now with the Twist-Spin Shot and the Super Rising Shot, but Ryoma kept returning balls and didn’t seem to become desperate even if he didn’t get the points. Hari recognised this from when he was playing against Nanjiro and was just looking for something that worked against him. 

“Eh!” 

“The Rising Shot!” 

Ryoma returned one of Yuta’s shots by using the Rising Shot but it went high and out, but instead of looking depressed Ryoma only looked at his racket with a calculating look while swinging it lightly back and forth.

 

40-0

 

“Super Rising seems to be beyond Echizen,” Kawamura commented worriedly. 

“You think so?” Hari asked. 

“You don’t, nya?” Kikumaru asked. 

She shrugged, “who knows?” 

Fuji smiled before looking back at Yuta. Hari hadn’t missed that he seemed unable to take his eyes off his little brother for most of the match. She smiled slightly and looked back at her own little brother. She wasn’t worried. Not yet, at least. Ryoma was having fun and he would figure it out. She had faith in him. 

As soon as Ryoma returned one of Yuta’s shot the other one was waiting. Hari watched as Yuta again got into the stance for the Twist Spin Shot. Ryoma was again going to the net and this time when he hit the ball it landed just outside the line of the court and even if it was out it still shocked Yuta. 

 

Game for St. Rudolph Fuji! 4-1

 

“It’s pretty hard,” Ryoma said. “If I don’t hold the face down a bit more, it goes out. Still, I think I got the move down.” 

“Naruhodo,” Kikumaru said. “Our boy’s adjusting his racket angels while losing points.” 

Hari smiled slightly and shook her head. 

“Typical,” she huffed and smiled proudly. 

“Ne!” Ryoma called again and Hari looked at him to see a small worried look on his face before it blanked out in that arrogant smile of his. “You shouldn’t use that Twist-something that much.” 

Hari frowned again and looked at Yuta who was looking rather stunned as he stared at Ryoma. She heard Horio ask why but didn’t pay him any attention as he went over Ryoma’s words and what they could mean. She noticed that Mizuki had turned his head slightly and was staring at Ryoma and she couldn’t miss how unsettled he seemed. Was he worried? But why…. 

Argh, this was getting frustrating. She hated not knowing what was going on and why Ryoma thought Yuta shouldn’t use it. She knew that if Ryoma actually said something about it during a match he was serious and Yuta probably shouldn’t use it. 

Her eyes widened as she realised and her hands clenched into tight fists as she stared at Yuta in realisation. She gritted her teeth when she saw him get into that stance once more and performed the Twist Spin Shot and this time she really noticed the way he used his shoulder and the strain it put on it. 

Why hadn’t she realised that before? She paused her thought as she saw Ryoma running toward the net…and he wasn’t slowing down. She tilted her head as she watched him. What was he planning? She heard the concerned warnings from the others but she didn’t say anything because she knew that if Ryoma was running like this he had a plan and she wanted to know what. 

She blinked as Ryoma suddenly was on the ground sliding forward before jumping up and meeting the ball before it bounced against the ground and hit it. 

The ball seemed to fly high and she could almost see the relief in St. Rudolph but when she heard the familiar words: 

“Mada mada dane!” 

She smirked. There was no way that this shot was a miss. True enough the ball suddenly dropped and bounced right next to where Yuta was sitting slash standing in a perfect B before bouncing off the court. 

 

15-0

 

“What?” 

“What was that shot?” 

“What just happened?” 

The questions filled the court as they all stared. 

“Drive B,” Ryoma said. 

Hari grinned proudly as she stared at her little brother. She knew he could do it. She glanced at Fuji and saw the surprised look on his face and laughed quietly to herself as she spotted it on the others faces as well. 

Though, this just proved the fact that she had to perfect her own move as well. She was going to show that she could keep up. 

“I just sealed your Twist Spin Shot,” Ryoma said. “What will you do now?” 

He pointed his racket at Yuta who just stared back at him. 

“Your big brother isn’t the only strong one here,” Ryoma said, hands in his pocket and cap shadowing his face. “Your goal might be to beat your brother, but…I’m aiming much higher.” 

“You must beat me before you can go higher,” Yuta said and his voice didn’t contain any anger. 

“Mochiron,” Ryoma said. 

Hari smiled and shook her head slightly in wonder. Looks like Ryoma was reaching Yuta with his words and play. 

 

Game for Seigaku Echizen! 5-4

 

Hari had moved away from the others seemingly unconsciously but she was curious and worried so she moved closer to the bench where Mizuki was seated and was talking to Yuta. She could see that Yuta looked shocked by whatever the dark haired teen was saying. 

“…If you lose here you will never surpass your brother!” 

Hari only heard the last part of what Mizuki was saying but she could see the wide eyes on Yuta’s face and almost stricken look as he stared at Mizuki. She frowned as she watched Yuta closely. Just why did he seem afraid? Again? 

The angry look was back now and Hari almost stalked straight into the court and over to that manager who had removed the look Yuta had on for the last game that clearly said he was having fun playing against Ryoma. Because who was he to take that away? Who was he to purposely push Yuta’s own demons on him to push him to win the match?

She was so angry that she didn’t notice the fact that she was bleeding as she moved back to the others.

“Eh! Hari-chan!” 

Hari glared and Sakuno and Tomoka shrank back as they paled and she blinked. 

“Oh, sorry,” she said inhaling to calm her anger down. “Didn’t mean to glare at you two. What’s up?” 

“Um…” Sakuno said timidly and Hari grimaced slightly. “You’re bleeding.” 

“What?” Momoshiro exclaimed hurrying over just as Hari blinked confusedly again and looked down at her hands and sure enough, she was bleeding from where her nails had dug into her palms. 

“Oh,” she said. 

“Maji de?,” Momoshiro said. “What did you do?” 

Hari shrugged. 

“Forget it,” she said. “I’m fine.” 

Fuji glanced at her but didn’t say anything as she ignored the others and stopped next to Fuji again. She frowned as she looked back at the court. 

 

40-0

 

Ryoma just performed yet another Drive B and the ball went past an outplayed Yuta. Hari calmed down some when she saw that Yuta continued like he had and even allowed a small smile on his lips as he looked over at Ryoma. She inhaled deeply as she forced the last remnants of her anger down and smiled slightly herself. 

“You know, Echizen is a mysterious guy,” Fuji commented. 

“Eh? Really?” Hari asked. 

“He has managed to reach Yuta despite all the anger Yuta is holding,” Fuji said. 

Hari smiled. 

 

Game for Seigaku Echizen! 6-4

 

They won the match. The cheering was loud and well, cheerful. Hari smiled and watched her little brother proudly but when she glanced over at Yuta she felt a little worried about him. She was not sure she trusted that Mizuki very much. Or at all. 

“So, what are you going to do about him?” Hari asked as she glanced at Fuji. 

“Hm?” 

“Mizuki,” Hari gritted out the name like it was distasteful. 

Fuji glanced at her. 

“He’ll regret teaching Yuta that move without warning him about the consequences,” Fuji said. 

“Good,” Hari said and a smirk crossed her lips. “If you hadn’t planned on that I would have hit you.” 

Fuji laughed and held up a hand. 

“Oi, oi,” he said. “Seems like you’ve become protective over my little brother, Hari-chan.” 

Hari stared at him before she huffed. 

“Guess so,” she said. “He reminds me of my friend and me to a degree. Besides, no one deserves to be treated like that.” 

Fuji nodded and gave her a genuine smile before he reached out and ruffled her hair like she was a little kid. She scowled at him but smiled slightly as well. 

“I’ll deal with him.” Fuji promised. 

 

Hari yawned and stretched her hands up in the air. 

“Eh? How can you be that relaxed?!” Horio exclaimed. 

“Eh?” she blinked at him. 

“You know we’re losing!” Horio yelled and sounded angry. The other first years were nodding and looking anxiously at Fuji who lost another ball. 

“I can’t believe that Fuji-sempai is losing,” Tomoka cried. 

“Even he has trouble…” Mizuno said. 

“I don’t know why you’re so worried,” Hari said and yawned again. “I just wished he would get started soon. This is boring.” 

“What?” they stared at her. 

Hari noticed that the others also looked at her some with more understanding than others. 

“He’s not serious yet,” Hari shrugged. “He’ll crush Mizuki.” 

With that she walked away from them and toward where Yuta was standing watching the game with a torn expression on his face. 

“You worried?” She asked him. 

He glanced at her and tried to make his face blank but she could still see the worry on his face. 

“No,” he denied stubbornly. 

“I see,” she said. 

She didn’t move away from him and remained standing beside him as she looked to see Fuji lose yet another ball making the score 5-0 in St. Rudolph’s favour. 

They were changing places and Fuji stopped by Ryuzaki to get another racket. She watched him walk with his eyes opened and a serious look on his face. She almost shuddered. Fuji was scary when he was serious. 

“He really cares about you,” Hari commented suddenly. 

“What?” Yuta looked at her confused before he blushed slightly. “He doesn’t…” 

“You don’t believe that,” Hari said eying him. “Give me an example on when he has ever shown you that he doesn’t care.”

“He let me move to the dorms and transfer to St. Rudolph without a word,” Yuta said. “He just asked if I was going.” 

Hari nodded. 

“I’m fine with it if Yuta is okay with it,” Hari quoted. 

“Eh?” 

“That was what Shu-chan said when you played Ryo-chan,” Hari said as she stuck her hands into her pocket never taking her eyes off Fuji who just returned a shot that he had missed earlier in the match clearly stunning Mizuki. 

Yuta stared at her and then looked over at Fuji. 

“Perhaps you don’t know your brother that well, Yuta-kun,” Hari said gently. “That’s alright. You still have time to fix it.” 

“He…” Yuta spoke up after a pause and Hari glanced at him and saw him watching Fuji with a small and sad smile on his lips. “He protected me from bullies when we were kids. I had provoked them and they were beating me, but then suddenly he was in front of me, shielding me from them and even if they beat him he didn’t move. He got them to go away and he comforted me afterwards…he never said a word about it again.” 

She smiled slightly as she listened.

“He really said that?” Yuta looked at her and she nodded. 

“He did,” Hari smiled at him. “So, perhaps you should talk to him, Yuta-kun.” 

He looked back at the court and didn’t say anything else but Hari didn’t press and just stood there beside him in silence watching as Fuji completely turned everything around and crushed Mizuki by going against all of the data the other boy had gathered. 

Hari smirked.

 

“Good game,” Hari smiled at Fuji when he was free from Kikumaru’s hug. 

“Thank you,” he said. 

“You knew he was playing with Mizuki all the time, didn’t you Hari-chan?” Kikumaru asked. 

Hari just stared at him but a small smile had her lips twitch slightly. 

“That was why you said it was boring!” Horio yelled and waved at her. 

“Boring?” Fuji arched a brow. 

“You did let it drag out a bit, Shu-chan,” Hari rolled her eyes. “Though, I do say he deserved it. We should prank him too.” 

Fuji nodded. 

“Eh, what would you do?” Kawamura asked. 

Kawamura wasn’t the only one who shuddered when both Fuji and Hari just smirked at them without replying. 

“On the other side,” Kawamura said, “I don’t think I want to know.” 

 

Hari smiled amusedly as she watched Fuji trail after Yuta who looked a cross between uncomfortable and pleased as the older of the two was trying to get him to come home for dinner. 

“Seems like they have worked things out,” Ryoma commented. 

“Yeah,” Hari nodded. “That’s good.” 

Ryoma nodded as well. 

“So, will you tell me what’s been bothering you since you came back from meeting Atobe’s team?” Ryoma asked. 

Hari stilled and looked at him. 

“Who says…” She started. 

“Hari,” Ryoma frowned at her. “I know you, remember? I can see that you’re still upset. What did he do?” 

She sighed and looked away from him deliberating on what to say. Her eyes followed the Fuji brothers as she thought. She knew she would have to tell Ryoma. She didn’t want to lie to him. 

“He just thought he could order me to do something,” Hari finally said.

“He wants you to transfer over to Hyotei,” Ryoma stated. 

Hari glanced at him and nodded. She saw the anger in her little brother and sighed. She hadn’t wanted to upset him. 

“I told him no, Ryo-chan,” Hari said. “I just…I don’t like being told what to do and the attitude of some of his team was…annoying.” 

“I’ll….” Ryoma fumed and turned around to walk away and probably look for Keigo. Hari grabbed his arm and held Ryoma back. “Let go of me, Hari!” 

“No,” Hari said. “Calm down.” 

“No!” Ryoma said through gritted teeth. 

“I already said no to him,” Hari said. “You have nothing to worry about.” 

“He still thinks he can come here and take you away!” Ryoma spun around and glared at her. 

She felt her eyes widen when she saw the anger in those hazel eyes as he glared at her now and she took a step back from him. She was confused as to why he suddenly seemed angry at her. 

“And you! You just allow him to…to take you with him!” Ryoma accused. “Do you want to leave? Is that it? You don’t see what it does to us when you go to see him. You don’t see it! We’re your family, Hari!” 

Hari opened and closed her mouth as she stared at Ryoma. 

“You don’t like being told what to do,” Ryoma continued and narrowed his eyes at her. “So, if he had asked you, would you have accepted? Would you have gone to Hyotei instead? Is that it? Is that what you want, Hari?!” 

“What?! No! Of course not!” she said. 

“Because that’s what it sounds like, Hari,” Ryoma snapped. “It’s like you’re pulling away from us, from _me_! You’re always busy and won’t tell me where you have been… and then he shows up and you just…leave!” 

Hari was not sure what to say to that. She stared at him and noticed the anger (obviously he was practically shouting) but also the hurt and pain. She had seen glimpses of it before but never this prominent and she felt a stab of guilt and pain go through her, but also…confusion. She just couldn’t grasp that he felt like this. And from the way he was using ‘we’ instead of ‘me’ made it seem like he was talking about more than just the way he felt. Did that mean that his parents felt the same? 

She was not aware of the watching team who was looking concerned as she stared at Ryoma. He was breathing harder than normal and she could see the flush of red in his cheek. The cheer from winning had disappeared and she felt another stab of guilt. 

“I…” She was lost for words and she frowned. 

Ryoma turned and walked away and Hari stared after him. She took a small step forward as if to follow him but then she stopped. Her hands clenched at her side and she bowed her head feeling tears spring to her eyes as he walked away.

He hated her. 

 

Fuji grinned as he followed his brother and chatted at him. He was amused by the reluctant smile Yuta showed and just enjoyed being able to talk to him like this again. 

“Oh, fine!” Yuta snapped. “I’ll come home!” 

“Mum will be so happy!” Fuji smiled. 

“Whatever,” Yuta muttered embarrassedly. 

“Fujiko-chan!” 

Both of them turned to see Kikumaru coming running toward them with wide eyes and a panicked look on his face. Fuji arched a brow and Yuta glanced at his brother and then over at his teammate. 

“What’s wrong, Eiji?” Fuji asked confused. 

“You…you have to come!” Kikumaru panted. 

Fuji’s eyes narrowed as he took in Kikumaru’s appearance. 

“Why? What’s happened?” Fuji asked quickly. 

“They’re fighting and…and I don’t know what to do,” Kikumaru wailed. “Even Tezuka-Captain is at a loss!” 

“Who’s fighting?” Fuji asked. 

“Hari-chan and Ochibi-chan!” Kikumaru said. 

“Eh?” Fuji’s eyes widened. That was not what he had expected to hear. 

“I don’t know how it started,” Kikumaru said. “They were talking, but they do that all the time. Then…then suddenly Ochibi-chan was yelling and said something about Hyotei and Atobe…” 

Fuji frowned but didn’t say anything. 

“Then…then Ochibi-chan said something about Hari wanting to leave them and that she would have gone if Atobe had asked her,” Kikumaru frowned. “She denied it, but I don’t think he heard it. Or cared. He walked away and she’s…she cried.” 

Fuji groaned. 

“Yuta,” he glanced at his brother. “I’m sorry, but I will need to go and check on my team. I’ll see you at home.” 

Yuta nodded looking worried. 

“I hope they’ll be okay,” he said. 

Fuji nodded. 

 

“Tezuka?” Fuji asked as soon as he and Kikumaru joined the team who was standing still and no one was talking. That was not a good sign. Fuji looked around but saw no trace of Ryoma or Hari. 

Despite his normal stoic mask Fuji could now see a trace of worry on Tezuka’s face. He glanced at him. 

“Where’s Hari-chan and Echizen?” Fuji asked. 

“Echizen walked off in that direction,” Tezuka said nodding toward the centre of the courts. “Hari-chan…well, she ran off that way.” He nodded toward the exit. 

“No one followed her?” 

“Kaido did,” Tezuka said and that was when Fuji noticed that Kaido was missing from the group. “Momoshiro followed Echizen.” 

Fuji frowned. 

“You know what this is all about?” Tezuka asked. “I’ve not seen them fight like that before.” 

“I know Atobe asked, no, ordered Hari-chan to transfer school,” Fuji said. 

“What?” Kikumaru exclaimed. “Hari-chan is our teammate! She’s our friend! He can’t just order her to transfer! Why would he even do that?!” 

Tezuka frowned and Fuji could see that he didn’t like it either. 

“Yeah, and she refused,” Fuji said. “She was really angry when she got back from meeting his team. She only hid it because she didn’t want Echizen to notice and worry.” 

“I think that backfired,” Inui commented. 

Fuji just nodded. Who to follow? Hari could be anywhere right now and with her ability to get lost… it would be a miracle if they found her. Besides, Kaido had followed her and he was good at dealing with her. So, he would need to trust that Kaido had Hari covered. 

He would follow Ryoma. Looks like they needed to have a little talk anyway.

I’ll see if I can find Echizen,” Fuji said. “The rest of you should go home.”

“Eh? But…” Kikumaru protested. 

“They will not like being stared at or being crowded right now,” Fuji told Kikumaru. “Right now the best thing would be to give them space. This is something that is between them and we should respect that.” 

“But you will see him,” Kikumaru complained. “I want to see Ochibi-chan too... Our boy is upset!” 

“And you will be there for him when he needs you,” Fuji said. “Right now he doesn’t need all of us crowding him.” 

“Fuji is right,” Ryuzaki spoke up and they realised that she had joined them now and from the worried look on her face had been caught up on what was happening from Sakuno. “This is a family matter, Kikumaru. Right now, it’s enough that Fuji is looking for Ryoma.” 

“Then Hari-chan…” Kikumaru said. 

“Kaido followed her,” Fuji said. “And we won’t find her if she ran to the exit. We need to trust Kaido to cover her.” 

“But…” 

“Eiji,” Oishi said gently. “This is what we can do. We’ll see them at school and you can check on them then. I’m sure Fuji will send us a text to let us know that he found Echizen and if he’s alright.” 

“…fine,” Kikumaru mumbled. 

 

Ryoma ignored Momoshiro who was talking or more like asking questions but he tuned him out. He felt the anger burn through him and he gritted his teeth, but then Hari’s face flashed in his mind and the shocked and scared expression on her face hit him. He pushed it out. He wasn’t going to allow himself to soften up. She was the one who… 

Argh. 

He hit the metal fence and heard the sound rattling around him but he didn’t pay it any mind nor the worried exclamation from Momoshiro. Why was he still there? He should just go away! 

Ryoma stalked off as his mind spun and his words and Hari’s words tumbled around in his mind making him dizzy, confused and angry all at once. 

She didn’t even care that he was worried about her. She didn’t even notice it! He didn’t want her to leave but she would and then it would be like last time. He would be by himself again. 

Just then he saw Keigo and his team up in front of him and he stopped short. It was his fault! If he had just stayed away from Hari then this wouldn’t be happening. He wouldn’t be fighting with the girl who was his big sister! He wouldn’t be close to losing her! Again! 

Without much thought Ryoma stalked over to Keigo who had stopped walking as he stared at Ryoma with a neutral expression on his face but it turned to shock when Ryoma actually hit him making him stagger back a couple of steps before a hand went to his mouth where a small trail of blood slipped out of the corner of his mouth. 

“Echizen!” Momoshiro yelled and pulled Ryoma back. 

“Stay away from Hari!” Ryoma snapped glaring at Keigo who rubbed the blood away and held up a hand to keep Kabaji back. The rest of the team was staring in shock. 

“Why?” Keigo smirked. 

“She’s my sister!” Ryoma glared. 

“No, she’s not,” Keigo narrowed his eyes. “She’s not related to you at all.” 

“Oi!” Momoshiro said glaring at Keigo now. “Shut up!” 

“It’s the truth;” Keigo said. “Hari-chan is the daughter of my godmother and if things had gone the way it should then she would have grown up with my parents and me.” 

Ryoma was shaking with anger and Momoshiro shot him a concerned look. He had never seen Ryoma like this before, so angry and actually resulting in violence. He just hoped that the other boy didn’t report this because this could be used against Ryoma. 

“My parents looked for her for years,” Keigo continued. “They mourned her. They deserve to have her with them now.” 

“That’s not up to you to decide, though,” a calm voice interrupted and Momoshiro glanced to the side to see Fuji stepping up to them and Momoshiro couldn’t help but let out a small sigh of relief. 

“Hari-chan is my sister,” Ryoma repeated again. “She’s been so since we met back in England and she came to my home. My parents’ love her like their daughter. It doesn’t matter that she’s not their blood. She’s theirs either way.” 

“I think that this discussion is pointless,” Fuji said and levelled his opened blue eyes at Keigo. “The Echizen’s have adopted Hari-chan. It’s legal. And Hari-chan told you that she didn’t want to transfer schools. You better back off or we will show you how we protect our own, Atobe. Hari is a part of Seigaku and has become one of us. She’s our friend.” 

Keigo gave them a last glare before he walked away from them with his team following behind him. 

 

“Oh man…” Momoshiro said as he let go of Ryoma. “I really thought he was going to fight you back!” 

“Whatever,” Ryoma muttered and scowled at the ground. 

Fuji watched him without saying anything and Ryoma could feel those eyes on him making him uncomfortable and wondering what he was doing there. He would have thought that Fuji would have gone after Hari if he was going to get involved in this. 

“What?” Ryoma finally snapped. 

“Saa,” Fuji shrugged. “I was just wondering what you were thinking.” 

Ryoma frowned at him and wondered what Fuji meant by that. Momoshiro also looked confused. 

“He’s a jerk,” Ryoma said. 

“Atobe?” Fuji asked unnecessarily and Ryoma nodded. “Well, yeah. He’s a rich kid who feels entitled to what he sees as his.” 

“Hari’s not his!” Ryoma snapped. 

“No,” Fuji nodded calmly. “She’s not.” 

They were silent again and the courts around them were almost empty now with only a few stragglers left. 

“She said she didn’t like being ordered around,” Ryoma suddenly said. “Like if he had asked she would have considered it.” 

Momoshiro frowned as he watched Ryoma while Fuji watched with a calm face and his eyes closed before he smiled. 

“I don’t think that’s true,” Fuji said and Ryoma looked up at him. 

“But…” 

“Do you know what Hari-chan has been working on these last few weeks?” Fuji asked opening his eyes as he looked at Ryoma. 

“No,” Ryoma muttered. “She’s just been busy.” 

Fuji nodded. 

“I’m not supposed to say anything to you about it,” Fuji said after a pause. 

“You know?” Ryoma asked quickly. 

“I’ve been helping her,” Fuji said and gave Ryoma a pensive look before he sighed. “Hari-chan will not be happy with me for telling you, but I think you need to know.” 

“What?” 

“She’s been working on a new tennis move,” Fuji said and Ryoma’s eyes widened. “She’s been working really hard on it and it’s turning out to be great.” 

“But why wouldn’t she tell me?” Ryoma asked. 

Again Fuji was quiet for a long moment as he watched Ryoma and Momoshiro was quietly watching them both. 

“You seem to think that she wants to leave you,” Fuji finally said. “While she seems to think she needs to prove to you that she belongs.” 

Ryoma startled and then frowned. 

“Oh...shit.” 

 

Hari sat on the edge of the stone wall overlooking the river below. She stared at the vast blue water that swirled past her and further down the river in an effortless motion. 

Ryoma’s hurt look flashed through her mind over and over again and she felt her chest clench in pain. 

“What have I done,” she muttered. “I’m an idiot.” 

**“Time is spacious and always new”** Kaido hissed next to her

Hari ignored it and just continued to stare at the water. She wished she could just go back in time and fix it. She would have not gone off with Keigo and this would not have happened. She wouldn’t have upset Ryoma so much and made him hate her. 

Would he even want her to come home? Did he want her to leave now? 

She bit down on her lip to stop herself from crying even if tears were defying her and running down her cheeks. She raised a hand and rubbed them away in stubborn defiance. She wasn’t going to cry. She didn’t have the right. It was her own stupid fault. She had hurt her little brother… 

“Hari-chan,” Kaido said his voice gruff. “He’ll calm down and then he will realise that you didn’t want to leave.” 

“I hurt him,” she whispered. 

“I think it’s a misunderstanding,” Kaido said glancing at her. “You both should have talked about what you were feeling.” 

Hari knew Kaido was right. She knew, but… she wasn’t good at this. She didn’t know what to do. She didn’t know what they expected from her. She just wanted to belong and she was working so hard to prove to them that she did. 

“He hates me,” she couldn’t stop the fresh tears from escaping and this time she didn’t bother to wipe them away. “He hates me.” 

“Shh,” a hand landed on her head and stroked her hair like she was a wounded animal but the action was oddly comforting. “He doesn’t hate you, Hari-chan.” 

She turned slightly and let her head fall down to rest against his shoulder. She felt him tense for a moment but then he relaxed and just continued with the comforting strokes. She wasn’t sure what made her turn to him like this. 

Nor did she let herself think how odd it was to hear Kaido talk openly about this without being a stuttering or in his case hissing mess. She felt grateful for his support. 

Neither of them noticed the older teenager watching them from behind a tree with a pensive look on his face that was partly shadowed by a cap and absentmindedly playing with an orange with one hand. 

 

“Isn’t it time to go home soon?” a voice asked and Hari and Kaido both glanced up to see an older teen with a cap that shadowed his face looking down at them. 

“What’s it to you?” Hari scowled at him. 

**“Raspberry and jam are great,”** Kaido hissed.

“Nothing,” the teen shrugged and seemed to study her but she couldn’t get a clear look of his face. “Though, I would think that your family is worried about you.” 

Hari frowned and tensed as she looked at him. 

“How would you know that?” she asked suspiciously. 

“I have my ways,” he said and she could see a smirk on his face and she frowned. There was something familiar about him. 

“Do I know you?” she asked. 

“Nope,” he said. “But I know you, so I suggest you go home before your parents and little brother goes crazy with worry for you, Hari-chan.” 

He turned and walked away from them. 

“Oi! How do you know my name?!” Hari called after him. 

He paused and tossed the orange up into the air as he glanced over his shoulder at her and caught the orange again before answering. 

“Mada mada daze,” he said with a smirk and then he left. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? :) 
> 
> I know some are frustrated by Atobe and I can understand that. He will get better soon, though! He just needs to realise that he can't have everything he wants the way he wants it. Hari will be dealing with him soon and hopefully, he'll get the wake-up call he needs ;) 
> 
> And another character showed up! I won't name him but I'm sure some of you figured out who he is! I hadn't planned on having him enter the story yet but he just showed up and demanded to be put in, so here he is! :) hehe. Hope you liked it. 
> 
> As always; thank you for reading and supporting the story! Hope to hear from you in the comments! XD 
> 
> Japanese words used:  
> Mada mada dane - Not good enough  
> Nani datte? - What was that?  
> Naruhodo - I see  
> Mochiron - Of course  
> Maji de? - Seriously?  
> Mada mada daze - Not good enough


	22. Belonging - part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Nanjiro watched Hari seated at the kitchen table picking at her breakfast and not really paying attention to anyone. He did notice that she cast long glances toward the doorway to the hallway and the stairs but she didn’t make any sign of moving out of the chair. 

He frowned slightly as he turned the page of his magazine and let his eyes stray over the blond model in a swimming suit and for show let out a giggle. He glanced up but there was no sign of annoyance or anything from Hari. He pouted inwardly. 

He knew that something had happened between Hari and Ryoma and he was not inclined to just sit back and wait for the two to fix things themselves like his wife had said to do. She said something about having to learn to talk together and something about understanding, but Nanjiro hadn’t paid attention. 

He knew that, but that didn’t mean that he had to just sit there and wait for them to talk. Did it? He glanced over at Hari again and saw that she once more cast a glance toward the doorway before letting out a sigh. 

He thought about the call he’d had with Ryuzaki the night before. She had called to ask if Hari had arrived home alright and told him about the fight. She hadn’t known the details but enough to know that it was some misunderstanding and that they both thought they knew what the other one was thinking and wanted. 

Complicated. 

He sighed. He could understand his son to a degree. He was unsure about his role in Hari’s life now because she had started to get friends outside of him and had spent time outside the house without Ryoma. Ryoma was used to Hari spending all her time with him and follow him around while he practised his tennis. 

At least that was what his wife said when he told her about it. She said that Ryoma had to learn that Hari also had friends and that it didn’t mean that she didn’t care about Ryoma. 

While Hari had to learn that she could open up more to Ryoma and to them all in general. Rinko seemed to understand Hari the best and Nanjiro was frustrated to know that Hari had trouble trusting them. Rinko said that it would take time for Hari to learn that and that they had to give her the time to do so. 

He understood that but… did it have to be this difficult to wait? He sighed quietly to himself as he realised that his thoughts had drifted away from what he was thinking about. 

The call from his old coach. The old lady had suggested having Ryoma and Hari helping her granddaughter with her tennis and he liked the idea. It would force them together and maybe get them to talk in an innocent situation. 

That could work. He looked back over at Hari and frowned when he realised that she hadn’t really eaten anything. 

“Aren’t you going to eat?” he asked in a carefree voice and his eyes still on his magazine. 

“I’m not that hungry;” she muttered. 

“Ah,” Nanjiro frowned slightly as he looked up. “You do need to eat, Hari-chan.” 

She sighed and nodded without looking up at him and he watched as he took a bite. He nodded to himself as he got up. He had to do something because he couldn’t watch Hari mope around all day and his son didn’t seem willing to do anything. 

“We’re going out after you’ve eaten, Hari-chan,” Nanjiro said as he closed his magazine and got up to his feet. Hari glanced over at him and frowned but then she just shrugged. 

 

Nanjiro opened the door to Ryoma’s room and saw his son looking at the door from the bed and it was clear that he had just woken up but he still looked tired. 

“We’re going out, so get up, Ryoma,” Nanjiro said after a moment. 

“Nani?” Ryoma glared at him. “I don’t want to.” 

“Well, you don’t have a choice,” Nanjiro said. “So, if you want anything to eat before we leave, get up now.” 

Ryoma grumbled something and Nanjiro smiled at his son and laughed as he stumbled out of the bed with Karupin meowing after him. 

Nanjiro walked back downstairs as he thought back at the night before. Hari had arrived home quiet and subdued. She had asked if Ryoma was back yet and when told that he wasn’t her shoulders had hunched more and only with a nod told them she was going to bed. 

Nanjiro had been worried enough to call Ryoma and found that he had been out looking for Hari, and had hurried home when Nanjiro told him that she had just arrived home. Ryoma had looked worried and slightly torn when he entered the house and rushed up the stairs. 

Nanjiro had been worried so he had followed and seen his son standing outside the closed door that led into Hari’s room. Nanjiro had waited and expected to see Ryoma enter the room like he usually did but he hesitated with a hand on the doorknob. Then, much to the observer’s surprise, he turned around and marched into his own room. Just as his door closed the other opened and Nanjiro saw Hari standing there looking at Ryoma’s door before she closed the door again. 

 

The silence in the car was stilted. Nanjiro glanced in his rear-view mirror and saw Hari looking out of the window with a bored look on her face. He picked up on the tension in her shoulders, though. A glance toward Ryoma in the seat next to him showed him equally tense even as he yawned and stared resolutely out of the mirror. 

“Where are we going, Oyaji?” Ryoma finally asked. 

“You’re going to help the granddaughter of a friend of mine who’s just started to learn tennis,” Nanjiro said cheerfully and smiled when he noticed Hari glance at him with a frown. 

“I don’t want to!” Ryoma declared right away with an annoyed scowl on his face. 

“Well, you don’t have a choice,” Nanjiro said. “I was going to do it, but something came up. You two can help her in my stead.” 

He was lying but it was necessary. Hari was still looking at him from behind him and he could tell that she was not convinced of his story, but when he met her eyes in the rear-view mirror she huffed and looked back out of the window. 

“That’s not my problem,” Ryoma said not giving in that easily and took a fruit that was lying beside them and missed the satisfied look on Nanjiro’s face as he took a bite. 

Nanjiro suddenly stopped the car making Ryoma jolt forward slightly. Nanjiro managed to get him out of the car while Hari had gone out without any prompt from him. She wasn’t really looking at Ryoma as she stood there waiting. 

“Here!” Nanjiro threw their tennis rackets out of the car and they both caught their own. 

“Oyaji!” Ryoma yelled. “Chotto!” 

“You can’t refuse now, Ryoma,” Nanjiro smirked. “That fruit that was a gift from my friend. You ate it too, right?” 

“Eh?” Ryoma’s eyes widened while Hari just rolled her eyes. 

“That’s the situation,” Nanjiro called out of the window of the car as he started to drive off. “I’m depending on you two! Be good coaches for the granddaughter of my friend!” 

“Wait! Oyaji!” Ryoma called but he was already out of the parking lot and they were left standing there by themselves. 

Nanjiro grinned. He could see them standing there staring after him until he made the turn and disappeared from view. 

Now he just had to find something to do for the day until he would come back to pick them up. 

 

Hari sighed as she pulled her bag with her racket over her left shoulder and wondered what Nanjiro was thinking. Well, she kind of knew what he was thinking. He wasn’t that subtle, really. He did this to force the two of them to talk and Hari glanced at Ryoma seeing the scowl on his face and felt her chest tighten. He was obviously still angry at her and the idea of spending the day with her was not what he had in mind. 

“He tricked me. That stupid old man,” Ryoma said glaring at the now empty street. 

Hari opened her mouth to say something but was cut off by a loud call of; 

“Ryoma-sama!” 

Hari glanced to the side while Ryoma seemed to freeze in place as the overly excited girl with the two pigtails came bouncing up and down as she beamed at him. 

“You really came!” Tomoka said excitedly. 

Sakuno was standing slightly behind her friend and was blushing as she gave them both a shy smile. 

“H-hello,” she greeted. 

Hari felt like laughing when she caught sight of Ryoma’s face and the horror slash fear that seemed etched into his expression. But the unease she felt and worry along with the guilt had her just sigh and start to walk over to the two girls. 

“Hari-chan,” Sakuno smiled and Hari gave a short smile back. 

“Come on,” Hari sighed and glanced over her shoulder at Ryoma. “Ryo-chan, let’s go.” 

He blinked at her startled out of whatever horror like thing he was imagining and his face settled into his usual scowl as he followed them. 

 

They reached an open space by a wall that was perfect to practice by shooting the ball at and they stopped there just by some stairs leading further up the park. Hari didn’t really care what was up there, though. 

“What now?” Sakuno asked unsurely. 

“Yeah! Tell us what to do,” Tomoka grinned. 

Ryoma sighed before he told them to start hitting the ball against the wall. He went to sit down on a low wall and Hari moved to show Sakuno and Tomoka how they should hold their racket for the exercise. 

“It will be easier for you if you hold the racket like this,” Hari said and showed them. “Try it.” 

Sakuno nodded and copied the way Hari held the racket before Tomoka did the same and grinned when she swung the racket back and forth. 

“Oh!” Sakuno blinked. “I think this is better.” 

“Yeah!” Tomoka agreed. 

Hari nodded and stepped back. 

“Come on,” she said nodding toward the wall. “Try to hit the ball.” 

Sakuno and Tomoka both started and Hari fell back watching them. She felt Ryoma looking at her but stopped herself from turning to meet his eyes. She wasn’t sure she wanted to or was ready to see the disapproval in his eyes. 

She felt her lips twitch when both girls missed their balls and fell over because of the force they used. They got up again and continued to hit the balls and she was glad to see that they both managed to do it a couple of times in a row without missing the ball. 

Of course they did miss again and Sakuno fell back once more. 

“You’re using too much power,” Ryoma commented bored. 

“Hai,” they both replied and then sighed. 

Hari noticed Sakuno glance at her and then over at Ryoma before she frowned slightly. Probably by the distance between the two. 

 

Sakuno was worried. She saw the distance between Ryoma and Hari and it seemed…wrong. They always seemed so close and at ease with each other but now it were like there was something between them and it was so thick she was sure she could cut it with a knife. 

“You think they’re still fighting?” Tomoka whispered to her also glancing toward the two siblings. 

“Looks like it,” Sakuno said worriedly. “I wish I knew how to help…” 

Tomoka nodded. 

“Oi, continue!” Ryoma called out. 

“Hai!” They yelled. 

Sakuno kept glancing at them, though. She saw the way Ryoma glanced at Hari who was standing to the side watching them but there was a distracted look in her eyes as well. 

“I’m sorry for dumping this on both of you,” Sakuno spoke up and the two siblings looked at her. 

“Don’t worry about it,” Ryoma said looking away. 

“It’s no trouble,” Hari said kindly. 

Sakuno sighed and still felt worried as she glanced between the two. She wanted to say something, but what if she said something and it made it worse? What could she say that would help them? 

“Sakuno-chan,” Hari said stepping up to her. “You need to bend your knees a little more when you hit the ball.” 

“Hai,” she said and frowned slightly. 

“Calm down, Sakuno-chan,” Hari smiled at her and she blushed and looked down. “We’ve practiced together before, right? Ryo-chan isn’t judging you even if he seems a little…odd. Just forget that he’s there. I know you can do it, okay?” 

Sakuno felt herself blush again but Hari’s words calmed her down slightly as she focused on the ball and the racket. She made to hit the ball but missed. 

“I’m hopeless,” she said as she picked the ball up. 

“No, you’re not,” Hari said and glanced down at the ball noticing the small drawing on it. She smiled slightly as she recognised Ryoma’s face but she didn’t say anything as she saw them dreamy smile on Sakuno’s face as she watched the face. “You’re just being self-conscious. Watch me for a second, ok?” 

Sakuno nodded. 

“Oi! Are you giving her private help?!” Tomoka asked frowning. 

“You’re free to watch me too, Tomoka-chan,” Hari smiled at the girl. “You just seemed to be on a roll, so I didn’t want to interrupt your progress.” 

“Oh,” she said and smiled. “But I’ll watch you too.” 

Hari nodded and grabbed her racket and tossed the ball up slightly and hit it when it was in front of her racket. She made a point on being extra deliberate in her movements and how she hit the ball. 

She hit the ball that returned to her and so on and so on until she caught it with her left hand and turned to the watching girl. 

“See? Be focused and don’t rush it,” she said. 

They nodded. 

“Try it,” Hari said. 

Sakuno nodded again and wished she could be as good as Hari, even Tomoka seemed to have a better handle of this than her and she hadn’t been playing tennis for the last months… Dejected thoughts hit her again. 

No, she could do it. She had to… She hit the ball and…it flew high over the wall and further into the park above them. 

Oh no…

 

Hari blinked and grimaced slightly as she watched as Sakuno hit the ball over the wall. She seemed to blush furiously and was probably feeling embarrassed. 

“I’ll go and find the ball!” Sakuno called as she ran up the stairs. 

Hari blinked and sighed. 

“I’ll go with her,” Hari told Ryoma who nodded. “You continue with Tomoka-chan, alright?” 

“Sure,” he said and met her eyes. 

She inhaled slightly as she realised that his eyes weren’t as cold as she had expected maybe he wasn’t as angry as she thought? 

She pushed the thought away and ran after Sakuno catching up with her at the top of the stairs. 

“Oh, so embarrassing,” Sakuno moaned. 

“It’s alright,” Hari smiled at her. 

“I never get it right,” Sakuno said. “Not when…” 

Ryoma was watching. Hari found it kind of adorable, but she didn’t say it. She didn’t think it was right to tease Sakuno about it right now and well, she wasn’t really in the mood to tease her. 

“Are you okay, Hari-chan?” Sakuno asked after a moment as they tried to find the ball. Just how far had she hit it? 

“Mm?” Hari glanced at Sakuno. 

“You seem…sad,” Sakuno said, “and…you and Ryoma-kun haven’t really spoken at all…” 

Hari looked away from the other girl and sighed. She hadn’t realised how obvious they were being. Her thoughts had been distracted all morning between her fight with Ryoma and how to fix it and the fear of seeing his cold hurt eyes directed at her and the stranger from the night before because he didn’t really feel like a stranger to her. 

It was like she should know who he was. It was strange because she knew she had never met him before. She was sure of that… and the way he had said… It was like the answer was just at the tip of her tongue but she was unable to get the answer out. 

“Hari-chan?” Sakuno’s worried voice reminded her that she hadn’t responded to her at all. 

“Ah, gomen, Sakuno-chan,” Hari said. “I’m fine. I just don’t really know how to make up for hurting Ryo-chan.” 

Sakuno frowned slightly. 

“Have you said you were sorry?” She asked shyly. “He really cares about you and I’m sure he will accept your apology.” 

Hari blinked at her before she let out a small laugh. 

“You’re really smart, Sakuno-chan;” Hari said. “I should just say I’m sorry. I don’t know why I didn’t think about that… I was trying to find a way to fix it and make some gesture to show that I wasn’t going to go with Keigo to Hyotei…” 

Sakuno smiled pleased with a blush in her cheeks. 

 

They arrived at a school and Hari noticed a tennis ball just inside a metal fence and Hari immediately felt like something was off. Just how had the ball landed all the way over there? 

“Oh! There it is!” Sakuno exclaimed before trying to reach the ball with her racket but it was just out of reach. 

Hari noticed the approaching boys all wearing the same green pants and shirts and Ginka was written on their t-shirts. She recognised the name as the name of the next team they were going to face. Her eyes narrowed as she took in their smirks and leering eyes as they watched her and Sakuno. 

“What are you doing?” A boy with black hair asked. 

“It seems like my ball went in there,” Sakuno said. 

“Why don’t you come in and get it,” the boy said in what would be a pleasant voice. 

“Ha…” Sakuno started but Hari stepped up and placed herself in front of her friend. 

“Why don’t you just toss it out to us?” Hari interrupted Sakuno. 

“It’s not my job,” the boy said and his eyes moved downwards looking her over before he looked back at her. “You can come and get it if you want it.” 

Hari narrowed her eyes at him and she wasn’t lost to the snickers from his friends. He was smirking at her and clearly waiting for her to say something. Sakuno was biting her lower lip in worry and glanced between Hari and the boys. 

“I can get it,” Sakuno told Hari. 

“No,” Hari said not wanting Sakuno in there with them. They were up to something and there was no way she was going to let Sakuno inside there with them. She was sorely tempted to just abandon the ball but she saw the way Sakuno glanced at it and knew that she really wanted that ball. 

Hari groaned inwardly as she made up her mind. She just couldn’t stop herself from doing the opposite of what her inner voice (so alike Hermione) told her to do. 

“I’ll get it,” she said. “You wait here, Sakuno-chan.” 

“Hari-chan…” Sakuno frowned but then she nodded. 

 

Hari was so not surprised when the basket of tennis balls magically fell over and mixed all the tennis balls together making it harder for her to get the one that was Sakuno’s and forcing her to bend over more. She fisted her hands as she really wanted to hit that smirk off the black haired boys face. 

“What are you doing?” Hari demanded with a frown. 

“I don’t know what you mean,” the boy smirked and stepped closer. “But…I’m sure I can help you if you ask nicely and then in a show of appreciation come with me to eat something.” 

Hari tensed slightly as his eyes looked her over again and she wasn’t lost to his meaning. 

“Back off,” she glared at him coldly. 

“That’s not asking nicely,” he hummed. 

“I’m not asking you for anything,” Hari said. 

“Hari-chan!” Sakuno called worriedly. 

Hari was considering her options. She hoped that Sakuno wasn’t going to come inside and she was aware of the boys having closed off her path back out of the courts. Stupid. 

 

Sakuno bit down on her lip as she watched the boys surround Hari, not too close but still enough to be uncomfortable. She saw that Hari had tensed and felt guilty. She should have just given up the ball… 

What to do now, though? Sakuno knew she wasn’t going to be able to do anything to actually help. 

Ryoma. She, they, needed Ryoma. 

She pulled out her phone and was glad that she had gotten his phone number. She immediately called him. 

_“Yes?”_ Ryoma’s impatient voice sounded. 

“Ryoma-kun!” Sakuno’s voices was breathless. 

_“Ryuzaki?”_ Ryoma asked. 

“Yes, you have to come! Quick! Hari-chan needs you!” Sakuno said quickly. 

_“What? Is Hari in trouble?!”_ Ryoma asked. 

“Yes, there’s some boys and…” Sakuno said and heard Ryoma curse. She wasn’t sure she had ever heard him curse before… 

_“Where are you?”_ he asked quickly and she could tell he was moving and heard Tomoka in the background asking what was going on. 

Sakuno explained where they were before he ended the call. 

 

Hari made a pointed move to look for the ball while deliberating if she could get away by hitting the boy before her or if she would get in trouble with the school. He really was asking for it. She also didn’t like to feel cornered like this. 

She gritted her teeth as the memories of Dudley cornering her with his cronies snickering behind him threatened to overtake her but she forced it back as she glared at the boy. She was not that weak little girl anymore. She was not someone who couldn’t fight back. 

“You have the ball,” she said in a low voice. “It’s not on the ground anymore. You just want to see me crawl around looking for it.” 

“Now, that’s not a very nice thing to accuse me of,” he said in mock hurt. 

“It’s the truth,” Hari said. “Now, give me the ball before I am forced to take action.” 

He laughed loudly and the others did the same. He stepped closer and reached out to touch her but she dodged him and pulled her hand back preparing to hit him when a tennis ball suddenly hit him in his right eye making him stumbled away from Hari who dropped her hand and looked to the side. 

She was not surprised to see Ryoma standing there with a fierce scowl on his face and his tennis racket in hand. She heard the gasps from the boys as they took in Ryoma and the hole in the fence that had been made by the tennis ball Ryoma had hit. 

“Ryo-chan! I was going to hit him!” Hari complained. 

“I couldn’t stand by and watch him try to touch you,” Ryoma glared at the dark haired boy who was staring at Ryoma. “Stay away from my sister, bastard!” 

Hari couldn’t help the happiness that filled her chest as he openly declared her to be his sister even in this situation but she hurriedly pushed it away as she looked back at the stunned boys. 

“You’re just a little kid,” the black haired boy said trying to sound tough. “Go back home.” 

Ryoma glared and walked over to the court and entered it making his way over to Hari who watched him. 

“You tried to touch my sister and I won’t allow that to slide,” Ryoma said. 

“I can take care of myself,” Hari grumbled at him. 

“Yeah, I know,” Ryoma said without pause and glanced at her. “But that doesn’t mean that I won’t step in when I see you in trouble, Hari.” 

She blinked and felt a little…stunned by the simple way he said that. It was like it was obvious and she wondered if maybe it was. 

“Oooh, such a sweet moment,” the boy interrupted them and Hari glared at him. “The little boy actually thinks he has a chance against us, boys!” 

They all laughed. 

“Oi! Watch how you’re talking to my little brother!” Hari snapped at him. 

“10 balls a person,” Ryoma suddenly said. 

Hari glanced at him and arched a brow wondering what he was on about. 

“Nani?” one of the boys asked. 

“A game,” Ryoma said watching them. “I play half of you and Hari plays the other half. You have 10 balls each. If we lose we’ll let you keep the ball and walk away.” 

“You plan on playing all of us?” another one asked incredulously. “And a girl?!” 

Ryoma snorted and looked back at the black haired one. 

“What do you say?” Ryoma smirked. “Or are you too scared? Worried that you’ll lose to a girl and a little kid?” 

Hari smirked as well as she looked over the group of boys who looked a little uncertain on what to think about this. 

“Oh, interesting,” the ‘leader’ said with a cold laugh, “but let’s change the terms a little. If we win then she has to go on a date with me. And if you win then we’ll forget about checking the balls and you can take them all.” 

Ryoma scowled and opened his mouth to say something but Hari put a hand on his arm and stopped him. He frowned at her but she just smirked and he relaxed. 

“Fine,” Hari said. “Deal.” 

The ‘leader’ got a pensive look in his eyes before he laughed again. 

 

Hari was the first one to go and she smirked at the boy at the other side who was looking confidently at her. He served the ball with more power than she had thought, but she had no problem returning it making it fly past the boy. 

He got another ball and tried again. She returned it and he missed. 

Again. 

And again. 

Hari yawned as he the boy was lying flat on the ground breathing heavily. She looked toward the watching boys who was staring at her stunned. 

“Hehe…” another one laughed. “He must have underestimated her! She was just lucky!” 

“Then prove it,” Hari challenged and he took his place. 

He served the ball and she used her speed to reach it and the ball was returned over the net landing behind him as he had run forward to meet it. He turned to watch where the ball had landed and stayed still in the same spot. 

He frowned at her and she tilted her head in a curious manner and arched a brow. 

“Well?” she said. “I’m waiting.” 

He growled. 

He failed. 

And so did the next and the one after that. 

The last one was the black haired boy who Hari had named the ‘leader’ who was smirking at her but he seemed a little more worried now. 

He served and she hit it back he managed to return it once but she caught it and played it back over at his side making him miss it. 

“I’ll take the next one!” he said. 

“Try,” she yawned. 

He growled at her and served. 

She returned it. 

 

“Nice,” Ryoma smiled at her and she grinned as she changed places with him not sparing the ‘leader’ a glance as he was lying flat out on his back at the sidelines. 

“Go get them, Ryo-chan;” she smiled. 

“You bet,” he smirked back at her and she ruffled his hair under the cap making him scowl at her and smack her hand away but she caught the small pleased smile on his face as he did so. She was just feeling happy that they seemed to be back at where they were. 

Hari watched as Ryoma got ready to take the first five boys and smiled amused as they all failed to get ball past Ryoma who returned them all without any problem. 

“I can’t believe you did that!” Tomoka said in a voice crossed between awed and incredulous. “What if you had lost? You would have had to go on a date with that creep!” 

“You really shouldn’t have done that, Hari-chan,” Sakuno still looked worried. 

Hari smiled at them. 

“There was no way I would lose to them;” she said confidently. 

Hari just shrugged and watched Ryoma continued to play with the remaining boys and she knew he took way too much pleasure in humiliating them like this. She found that she really didn’t mind. 

“Mada mada dane!” Ryoma called out when the last one was defeated. 

Hari, however, froze. 

Mada mada dane…

Mada mada daze… 

It was so similar. That was why she felt like she should have known that stranger. He wasn’t a complete stranger after all. But…could it really be…? She frowned as the realisation hit her and she knew who it must be, but at the same time… could it? Was it possible? Then why hadn’t he come to the house? Why hadn’t he said who he was? 

 

“I can’t believe you two actually took all of the balls,” Tomoka laughed as she watched Ryoma and Hari carrying the balls with them back toward the parking lot where they were going to meet Nanjiro again. 

Hari broke out of her distracted thoughts and laughed. 

“Why not?” she asked innocently. “That was the deal.” 

Sakuno giggled and was pleased to see the easier mood around both Hari and Ryoma. 

“They deserved it,” Ryoma nodded. 

They sat down at a bench and Hari placed the bag of tennis balls beside her as she looked up at the blue sky. Her mind drifted back to her recent suspicion on who the teen from last night really was and she glanced at Ryoma. 

“Something on your mind, Hari?” Ryoma asked noticing her watching him. 

Hari was silent for a moment. Should she say something? She wasn’t sure if it really was him or not, and if she was wrong then Ryoma would be disappointed. 

“Just wanted to say I’m sorry,” she said and smiled slightly but her eyes shadowed slightly. “I…I should have told you sooner about Keigo and I shouldn’t have said it like I did. I really never even considered and never would have considered transferring over to Hyotei.” 

Ryoma was silent for a moment and Hari noticed Sakuno dragging Tomoka away and she was grateful that the two girls gave them some privacy to talk. 

“I shouldn’t have reacted like that either,” Ryoma said. “I’m…sorry.” 

Hari saw that he was embarrassed and awkward but he was sincere. 

“Hari…” Ryoma spoke up again and she glanced at him. “Fuji-sempai told me… about the move you have been working on.” 

Hari stilled and felt a flash of betrayal go through her but Ryoma spoke before she could say anything. 

“He didn’t want to,” Ryoma hurried, “he just…thought I should know because I was being stupid and thought that you wanted to leave us. I thought you didn’t want to be with us when you had someone there who knew your parents. They could offer you a stronger link to your parents and I thought you would want that.” 

Hari blinked a little surprised by what he was saying. 

“So, Fuji-sempai told me about the move and why you were working on it,” Ryoma explained. “Hari…you don’t need to have a special move in tennis to belong with us. Even if you didn’t play tennis you would belong with us, we all want you with us.” 

Hari forced tears back as she blinked rapidly. 

“I…” Hari couldn’t get a word out and she swallowed. 

Ryoma glanced at her. 

“You’re my sister and my parents see you as their daughter, Hari,” Ryoma said quietly. “They’re waiting patiently for you to realise that.” 

Just then Nanjiro drove up and waved at them and when he saw Ryoma and Hari talking his smile widened and became more genuine and softer. Hari blinked again trying to force the tears back but she couldn’t help the way her chest swelled and emotions took over. 

 

Hari had excused herself and told Ryoma and Nanjiro that she wanted to go out for a walk and had declined their offers of accompanying her. She needed to think and a look at Ryoma seemed to make him understand because he nodded and gave her a small smile and told Nanjiro to let her go alone. 

She was grateful that he did that because her mind felt like it was going to spill over with all that had happened the last two days. Her fight with Ryoma, the stranger who probably wasn’t a proper stranger, her making up with Ryoma… It all was overwhelming. 

Ryoma didn’t hate her. That thought made her smile. She had really feared that he would hate her now and that she would be left alone like before. She thought back to her friends at Hogwarts, of Ron and Hermione. They were her best friends and while she loved them she wasn’t sure if they really felt the same about her. Oh, they cared. But did they really care about her or about the Girl-Who-Lived? 

She felt rather bad even thinking it, but the doubt was there. 

But with Ryoma that doubt was never there. She was just Hari with him and she was even more scared to lose that. So, the idea of him hating her was physically painful. That was why the relief was so great when he didn’t hate her and that he told her that she belonged with them. 

He had been honest when he said it and Hari wanted to believe him. It was so much promise in his words that even now she felt her chest constrict and emotions swell up in her chest. His hazel eyes had been steady and sincere. 

Fuji had been right when he said she didn’t need tennis to belong. 

She just did. 

That was a novel idea. She just belonged. She never really had belonged anywhere before. With the Dursley’s she was the unwanted burden left on their doorstep. At Hogwarts she was the hero or the scapegoat depending on the situation. 

So could she really believe that she belonged here? With Ryoma and his parents who she was more and more thinking off as her own? Would they mind her calling them Otou-san and Okaa-san? 

She sighed as she reached the river without getting lost. For once. 

She sat down and stared down at the water like she had the day before only this time without Kaido at her side. 

 

Ryoga was walking down the path by the river and had just arrived at the spot where he had been watching _her_ and her friend the day before. He wasn’t sure why he had gone back there now. Maybe he just wanted to be closer to the house where his family lived? 

He sighed as he pulled a hand through his hear and adjusted the earphone in his left ear as music filtered through it. He looked toward the spot where he had seen _her_ and paused when he noticed that she was back again. This time she was alone. 

He swallowed slightly as he watched her from the shadows. What was she doing back there now? He couldn’t help but wonder about that. 

Echizen Hari. 

He had been surprised and a little upset when he had heard that his father and stepmother had adopted a girl into their family. His aunt had mentioned it one day and he had been curious about this girl that had been taken in by the Echizen’s. 

He had tried to stay away and told himself that he didn’t care, but in the end… he had left the apartment he shared with his aunt in New York and boarded a plane and before he knew it he was on his way to Japan. 

He frowned as he watched Hari sitting at the edge of the wall and looking down at the water below her. He was curious about what she was thinking about now. He wondered if she had gone home as he told her to the day before and if she had fixed the problems with Ryoma. 

He had watched them both the day before at the tournament. He had stayed in the shadows just watching them, watching how Ryoma played tennis and how he and Hari had interacted. He couldn’t help the feeling of something heavy in his stomach as he watched Hari tease his little brother and the annoyed look Ryoma shot her. Nor could he help the longing that went over him as he watched Hari cheer for Ryoma when he won a game and saw the smile Ryoma shot her. How he wanted to be there…

When they had their fight Ryoga was watching and despite himself felt a stab of glee at the fight between them before he scolded himself and pushed it away. He shouldn’t feel happy about that. He was upset, though, because Hari was pushing Ryoma away when she had him in her life and had the chance to be there with him. Like he couldn’t. 

He had followed Hari just because he was curious and angry and wanted to see how she reacted to the fight. He was prepared to go to her and scold her for pushing Ryoma away but then he had seen the, there were no other words for it, despair in her eyes even from the distance he had been watching her. He had seen her lean against her friend and it was clear even to Ryoga that she was torn up over the fight. 

He hadn’t scolded her or yelled, he had just pushed her back toward the home she now belonged to and where he didn’t. It had hurt more than he thought it would, but if Ryoma would be happy with her next to him then Ryoga wouldn’t regret it. 

Without a conscious thought he moved. He walked over to the girl who was Ryoma’s big sister like a magnet was pulling him toward the girl and not his own legs carrying him. 

“So, back again,” he said as he tossed the orange into the air before catching it again. 

Hari’s head snapped up and wide green eyes stared up at him. He saw her mouth pop open in shock as she stared at him. 

“Yo,” he smirked. 

 

Hari blinked. 

He was still there. He was tall and muscled, she could tell even through his dark blue jacket, and this time she could see his face clearly. He was really very similar to Ryoma, she thought to herself. Much the same face structure and the same hazel eyes. He even had the same dark-greenish hair colour but his hair was slightly longer than Ryoma’s but not long by any means. 

“Ryoga-san?” Hari said almost questioningly but at the same time not. 

“You know my name,” he said as he tilted his head. 

“I’ve seen pictures,” Hari said quietly. “Why don’t you sit down?” 

Ryoga looked at her for a moment before he shrugged and sat down next to her. He kept playing with the orange in his hands but she didn’t say anything about it. 

The silence stretched between them slightly awkwardly. 

“So,” Hari swallowed glancing over at Ryoma’s older brother. “Arigatou.” 

He arched a brow as he looked over at her. 

“For what?” he asked. 

“For yesterday,” she said looking back at the water below them. “I needed the push.” 

“So, you fixed it?” Ryoga asked. 

“We did today,” she nodded. 

They were quiet again and Hari wondered what to say. Should she ask why he hadn’t come up to the house? Or should she mention that Ryoma missed him? Should she… 

“Good,” he said. 

“You saw us fight?” Hari finally asked curious despite herself. 

“Yeah,” he said and looked at her again. “I watched you both during the tournament yesterday.” 

Hari nodded. 

“You don’t think I’m a stalker?” he asked with a wry smile. 

Hari blinked and glanced at him. 

“I’m sure you have your reasons for doing it,” Hari said. 

He frowned at her for a moment before he looked away and they fell into a silence again. Both of them were lost in their thoughts and for now neither seemed inclined to break the silence. 

“If I said I wanted to see if you were good enough to be my baby brother’s sister, what would you say?” he finally asked. 

Hari stilled slightly and her eyes darkened slightly. 

“I would say that I probably would have done the same,” she admitted. “And…I know I’m not good enough to be Ryo-chan’s sister, but I really want to be and I do my best to be the best sister he can have.” 

Ryoga was staring at her and she felt uncomfortable but she refused to look away from him. She was not sure but she really wanted to have his approval. 

“I see,” he finally said. “That’s good.” 

He looked away again and she was left wondering what he was thinking. 

 

“Are you coming home?” Hari asked as she stood back up a while later. 

Ryoga looked at her surprised like he hadn’t expected her to say that. 

“I…shouldn’t…” he said but she saw the longing in his eyes. 

“Why not?” She challenged. 

He opened his mouth to answer. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? :) Ryoma and Hari had their talk and made up! Yay! :) Will Ryoga come back with Hari? ;) 
> 
> Hope you liked it! It turned out to be much longer than I originally planned. XD 
> 
> Japanese words used:  
> Nani - What  
> Chotto - Wait  
> Gomen - Sorry  
> Hai - Yes  
> Oyaji - Dad/Old man  
> Okaa-san - Mom  
> Otou-san - Dad  
> Arigatou - Thank you


	23. Confrontations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing!
> 
> _Flashback_

How had he ended up here? That was what went through his mind as he stood in the middle of the living room of the Echizen’s house. His father was staring wide-eyed at him and his mouth opened in a small ‘o’ like he didn’t believe what he was seeing. Ryoma was blinking owlishly as he stared at him and Ryoga swallowed. 

“Hey…” he said awkwardly. 

They blinked and he felt the nerves swirl around in his stomach when silence was all that met him. Why had he ended up here again?

Oh…that’s right… he glanced over at Hari. It was her fault, he thought and as if sensing him looking at her she glanced at him and smiled. Amused. She was amused and he felt like narrowing his eyes as he remembered just how he had ended up standing in the middle of the living room in front of his father, stepmother and little brother…

 

_“Nande?” She asked._

_Ryoga frowned at her. Why not she asked… like it was just to waltz back in there and say hey and then what? It wasn’t as if they actually wanted him there._

_“It’s not that easy,” he said._

_“Easy?” She tilted her head as she looked at him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”_

_He sighed and glanced away from her. He didn’t want to explain it, not to her because she wouldn’t understand. She was a part of them and he…he wasn’t._

_“You wouldn’t know,” he said and tossed the orange up in the air and caught it as he distracted himself and put on a smile. “It’s complicated.”_

_She nodded as she looked at him._

_“Daijobu,” she said, “but that doesn’t mean that you can’t come home to say hello to your family, right? They would love to see you.”_

_He stared at her and opened his mouth to say something when a loud voice interrupted them._

_“Hey! Hari-chan!”_

_Both Ryoga and Hari turned toward the voice and saw a boy coming toward them on a bike and with spiky dark hair._

_“Hey, Momo-chan,” Hari smiled and waved. “You’re out rather late.”_

_“So are you,” Momoshiro said giving her a look before glancing over at Ryoga curiously. “Oh, who’s your friend?”_

_Ryoga opened his mouth to make his excuses and leave because if she was preoccupied with her friend then he could get away before she asked any more of his reasoning of not coming back with her._

_“Oh, he’s Ryo-chan’s Aniki,” Hari said making Ryoga’s head snapped toward her. “Ryoga-san.”_

_“Echizen’s brother?” Momoshiro repeated surprised. “Oh, I didn’t know he had a brother. Nice to meet you! I’m Momoshiro Takeshi; I’m in the same class as Hari-chan and plays tennis with her and Echizen.”_

_“Nice to meet you,” Ryoga said a little stunned and at loss for words._

_She had so easily introduced him as Ryoma’s brother, so easily claimed him as a part of Ryoma’s life, and it warmed something inside of him. Was this what it felt like to be claimed as a part of a family?_

_“Are you lost again, Hari-chan?” Momoshiro’s voice interrupted his thoughts and Ryoga looked over at Hari again when she let out a groan._

_“Ie,” she said giving her friend the evil eye. “I’m not lost! I know perfectly well where I and how to get home!”_

_“…if you say so,” Momoshiro said in a voice that said clearly that he didn’t believe her and she knew it too if the glare was anything to go by. “But you have to admit that the word of a girl who regularly gets lost isn’t that convincing.”_

_“I don’t get lost,” she protested. “It’s everyone else who keeps moving around!”_

_Ryoga felt a smile cross his lips as he took in her indignation and then she suddenly pouted._

_“At least most of the time,” she added reluctantly._

_“Right,” Momoshiro snorted._

_“Whatever,” Hari scowled. Then she grabbed Ryoga’s arm and started to drag him with her. “We have to go home now, Momo-chan. See you at school!”_

_“Alright,” Momoshiro said with an easy smile. “See you!”_

_Ryoga was then dragged up the stairs from where they were and down the streets. He glanced at the girl who dragged him curiously as he tried to figure out what she was thinking._

_“They always nag about me getting lost,” she grumbled._

_“Oh? And why’s that?” Ryoga asked curiously not really thinking over the fact that she was dragging him with her._

_“Just because I sometimes end up in places I’m not supposed to,” she scoffed. “It’s not my fault. Really! It isn’t”_

_She gave him such a look that he felt like he should agree so he nodded and she smiled at him._

_Suddenly they were in front of a house and he blinked. It was… she had dragged him with her back to her home and he hadn’t stopped her. He opened his mouth to say something but she had already opened the door._

_“Tadaima!” She called._

_“Welcome home, Hari-chan!” a familiar male voice called and Ryoga stiffened but was too surprised and stunned to protest as Hari pulled him into the living room._

 

That was how he found himself in front of his father, stepmother and little brother. 

“You know you’re going to make him believe you don’t want him here,” Hari commented when the silence had stretched long enough. 

“How…” Nanjiro asked hoarsely. “Ryoga…You’re…What… How?” 

Had he ever heard his father sound so at a loss for words? Then the man was over at his side and Ryoga’s eyes widened a second before he was pulled into a tight hug. He tensed as he felt his father’s arms around himself in the first time in years… and it felt good. 

“Ryoga,” he heard the man whisper. 

“…Oyaji,” he said quietly. 

“You’re home,” Nanjiro pulled back and grinned at Ryoga who blinked. 

“Nii-san,” Ryoma said and Ryoga looked over at his little brother. 

“Hey, Ryoma,” he smiled. “How are you?” 

“I’m fine,” Ryoma shrugged. “When did you get here?” 

“A couple of days ago,” Ryoga said awkwardly. 

They fell into a silence until Ryoma looked at Hari and then back at Ryoga. 

“How come you two came together?” Ryoma frowned. 

Ryoga scoffed and looked at Hari who smiled innocently at him. She barely noticed Nanjiro and Rinko look at her with relief in their eyes as well as curiosity. 

“She dragged me here;” Ryoga said. 

“Saa?” Hari blinked. “I just took you back home. What’s wrong with that?” 

He fiddled with the orange in his hands as he glanced around the room. 

“But…how did you know each other?” Ryoma asked confused. 

Hari just shrugged before she replied. 

“He got me to go home yesterday after our…fight,” Hari admitted. “I didn’t know who he was yesterday, though. I just figured it out today and when he came to talk to me again…well, I thought it would be good to bring him home.” 

Ryoga was scratching the back of his head as they turned to look at him again. 

“Very good,” Nanjiro smiled and with that, he pulled Ryoga to the seating area and sat him down and Hari smiled as she watched the father and son start to catch up. 

“Thank you, Hari-chan,” Rinko said before Hari was pulled into a hug. 

“Eh?” Hari blinked at her confused when she was released. 

“Nanjiro has been really worried about Ryoga,” Rinko said. “It’s good to see him back home again.” 

 

Hari cast another curious look at her shadow of the day. Ryoga was walking beside her and was looking rather relaxed as he followed her through the streets of wealthy looking buildings. He had decided to follow her as she left the house for the day. 

“So why have you decided to play shadow to me today, Ryoga-san?” she asked casually. 

“Do I need a reason?” he asked. 

Hari glanced at him again. He looked calm and casual but there was an underlying tension in the way he glanced at her and then looked away. His shoulders seemed a little too tense. He had a reason for following her and she had a suspicion about why. 

“You have a reason,” she said calmly, “but I won’t ask you for it.” 

He looked at her again and this time she noticed the searching look in his hazel eyes but she just turned her attention back to where she was going and frowned slightly as she realised that they had been at this street before. She sighed. 

“So, are you going to tell me why we are wandering through the same streets for the last 30 minutes?” Ryoga asked curiously. 

Hari ignored him. 

“I thought Ryoma and that friend of yours exaggerated your ability to get lost,” Ryoga continued. “But I think they might actually have a point.” 

Hari shot him a glare. 

“I didn’t ask you to come,” she said sullenly. “So, don’t complain.” 

He laughed and she realised that she hadn’t really heard him laugh until now. She felt some of her annoyance fade away as she noticed some of his tension give away. 

“I’m actually starting to think that you are a stalker,” she said making him blink at her and smirk at her. 

“Oh? I must be a very poor one then,” he quipped. 

“Or a brilliant one,” she shot back easily. “You hide in plain view.” 

“You’re strange,” he said and chuckled. 

“Thank you,” she smirked before turning forward again as they rounded a corner and she let out a small sigh of relief. “We’re here.” 

“Hyotei Academy?” he asked as he read the sign above the large gate. “Why are we here?” 

He looked at her and she just shrugged as she continued through the gate. 

 

They made their way across the empty schoolyard. It was a very large school by the looks of it and Hari imagined that if it hadn’t been a Sunday they would have seen a lot of student walking around. But since it was a day off they could walk around by themselves. 

Hari found the tennis courts without getting lost and noticed that it was much larger than the ones at Seigaku. She also noticed that a group of people were at the middle court and a game was going on while others were seated at a stand to the right. 

“What are we doing here, Hari-chan?” Ryoga asked. 

“I’m here to talk to Keigo,” Hari said. 

“Nande?” 

“Because he has to realise somethings,” Hari said before she sped up. 

She had texted Keigo and asked to meet him. He had told her to come here and even if she didn’t really want to go to his school to meet him she decided that it was best to just get it done. She couldn’t allow it to go on like this much longer. 

She noticed that it was the same group of people she had met before that was gathered at the courts. Mukahi Gakuto and Oshitari Yushi were the two playing if she remembered their names correctly. 

She noticed a boy with messy orange hair sleeping slightly behind the others on the stands and she cast him a curious look. He looked so at peace and you’d think he was in his own bed at sleep by the looks of him. Just who could sleep that well out in the open like this? 

“Oh! Echizen-san,” Otori was the first to notice her and by his voice, the others looked over and noticed her as well. “How are you?” 

“I’m fine, thank you, Otori-san,” Hari nodded politely to him. 

He smiled kindly at her and glanced over at Keigo who was watching her with a pensive look on his face. 

“It’s you!” Mukahi exclaimed and seemed to have abandoned the game as he came over to them and glared at her. “What are you doing here?” 

“You’re being rude, Mukahi,” Oshitari sighed as he came over as well. “Hello, Echizen-san.” 

Hari nodded at him and ignored the other she didn’t like him and didn’t feel like dealing with him. 

“Who’s with you, Hari-chan?” Keigo asked and Hari noticed him looking at Ryoga who was watching them with a calm look but had found an orange (where had that come from?) and was tossing it lightly up in the air as he watched them. 

“Echizen Ryoga,” Hari said and Keigo narrowed his eyes slightly. “He’s Ryoma’s brother.” 

“Ryoga-san, this is Atobe Keigo,” Hari glanced at Ryoga and then at Keigo. They seemed to be observing each other. 

“Nice to meet you,” Ryoga finally said politely. 

“You too,” Keigo said back in the same tone. “So, why did you want to meet me, Hari-chan?” 

Keigo turned his attention back to her and seemed to dismiss Ryoga. 

“You already know that,” Hari said eyeing him. “Don’t pretend that you don’t.” 

Keigo was silent for a moment and the team watched them nervously and slightly curious. 

“Fine,” Keigo sighed. “Come on. We’ll talk over there.” 

 

Hari followed him so they were a little bit away from the others and could talk in private even if they were still seen by the others. 

“So what happened to your face?” Hari asked eying the bruise on his cheek curiously. 

“Your little brother doesn’t like me very much,” Keigo shrugged and Hari’s brows went up. Ryoma had hit him? She hadn’t known that…

“Naruhodo,” was all she said out loud. 

“You don’t seem sorry,” Keigo observed. 

“Well, you probably said something stupid,” Hari said and he huffed. 

“Whatever,” he said. “So what do you want?” 

“I just thought we should talk,” she said and frowned slightly at the coldness she sensed in him. 

“I can’t imagine what about,” he said. “You made your feelings about me clear. You pick them.” 

Hari sighed softly as she watched him.

“What did you expect?” she asked him. 

“I expected you to realise that this is what best for you!” Keigo snapped at her. “You belong with us, Hari-chan! You were supposed to be with us and I’m only trying to do what is right. Attending Hyotei is what’s best for you because it can offer you the right education and I will be here to watch out for you just like Aunt Lily and Uncle James would have wanted me to do. Mum and dad have missed you and looked for you since you went missing. They want you to come home as well.” 

Hari listened and felt both annoyed and sad by his words. 

“What about what I want?” She challenged as her annoyance won over. “What about my choice in all this?” 

“It’s for the best,” Keigo said stubbornly. “We’re your family, not the Echizen’s!” 

Hari scowled at him. 

“The Echizen’s are my family!” Hari shot back at him. “Don’t you try to say they aren’t! Ryoma is my brother and Nanjiro and Rinko is my parents!” 

She barely noticed that she claimed them as her parents out loud for the first time. She pushed it back to think about later. 

“I know that if things had gone like it was supposed to then I would have grown up with you and your parents,” Hari continued trying to calm down. She would obtain nothing if she lost her temper and just yelled at him. “But that didn’t happen, Keigo. I’m sorry it didn’t because I’m sure it would have been a much better childhood if I had. I’m sure. As it is I grew up with an aunt and uncle who didn’t really want me and I never felt home or accepted until I met Ryoma and his parents. They accepted me and have been great to me.” 

Keigo scowled and his hands were fisted at his side as he refused to look to look at her. 

“So you pick them,” he said coldly. 

Suddenly he looked so defeated and lonely that Hari felt a stab of guilt and sadness for him. She knew that his parents must be busy with their jobs and he was probably left on his own a lot. So maybe this wasn’t just about what her parents had wanted back when they were alive, but also a way for him to have someone in his life on a regular basis. 

“It’s not about picking anyone!” Hari said in a softer voice. “I’m not saying that I don’t want to get to know you better or your parents! I do want that but I will continue at Seigaku and stay with Ryoma. But I want to be in your life as well.” 

He looked at her then and looked thoughtful. 

“Also, you can’t just go around ordering me around,” Hari said as she inhaled deeply. “I hate being controlled and told what to do. Talk to me and ask me before you just go around deciding things.” 

He nodded slowly and she smiled slightly as she sensed that he had calmed down and the coldness she had sensed in him had faded back. 

“What about we meet at least once a week?” she asked. “We could have dinner and talk or something like that?” 

He couldn’t hide the relief in his eyes quickly enough as he nodded. 

“Alright,” he said in a calm and collected voice. “That would be acceptable.” 

She just smiled and nodded. 

 

They went back to Ryoga and the rest of Keigo’s team who was chatting lightly but Hari wasn’t lost to the searching look from Ryoga when they joined them again or the curious looks from Keigo’s team. 

“You okay?” Ryoga asked. 

“I’m fine,” she smiled at him. “You? Are you bored to death yet?” 

“Nah,” he shrugged. “They are an interesting bunch.” 

Hari smiled and nodded as she looked back at the others who didn’t quite seem to know what to think about her as they looked at her. She just smiled at them. 

“Does he always sleep like that?” She asked nodding toward the sleeping boy. 

“Ah,” Otori smiled. “He does.” 

“What’s his name?” Hari asked. 

“Akutagawa Jiro,” Keigo answered. “He’s a strong tennis player, but he’s lazy.” 

“I see,” Hari said amused. 

Hari and Ryoga stayed and talked a little more with them before they left. 

 

“Oh! It’s you!” A voice said loudly making Hari and Ryoga pause and turn around to see a boy around 10 looking up at her with wide violet-blue eyes. 

“Ah, Minoru-chan,” Hari smiled. 

“You remember me?” he asked with a wide smile. 

“Mochiron,” she said. 

“I thought you might have forgotten me,” he said with a shrug before he glanced to her side and frowned slightly as he looked at Ryoga. Hari followed his eyes as she wondered why he suddenly scowled. 

“This is Echizen Ryoga,” Hari introduced, “Ryoga-san, this is Yukimura Minoru.” 

“Nice to meet you,” Ryoga said eying the boy curiously. 

“Hm,” Minoru huffed before he looked back at Hari much to Ryoga’s amusement and Hari’s confusion. “What are you doing?” 

“We’re on our way home,” Hari said. “We’ve been to see a friend of mine. What about you? Are you here alone?” 

She looked around and noticed that they were close to a park where some kids were playing tennis. 

“I’m here with some friends, Hikaru and Sato,” he said glancing over at the park. “We’re playing tennis but we’re not as good as Seiichi-nii-san yet.” 

“I don’t think many people are as good as your Seiichi-nii-san,” Hari said amused. “But I’m sure you’re on your way to challenge him nicely.” 

“Mh-mm!” He nodded. “Can you help us?” 

“Me?” Hari asked surprised. 

“Yeah! Seiichi-nii-san said you are very good at tennis!” Minoru said excitedly. 

Hari arched a brow because she knew Seiichi hadn’t really seen her play tennis before and she wasn’t sure why she felt a sudden jolt of... what? Pleasure, happiness? Go through her at the younger boy’s words. 

“I suppose I could stay and help you for a little while,” Hari said and glanced at Ryoga who had arched a brow as he looked at her. “Do you want to stay or go home, Ryoga-san?” 

Ryoga looked at her searchingly before he looked at Minoru and found a scowling boy looking back at him. He felt his lips twitch and just to annoy the boy he stepped closer to Hari before he answered. 

“I’ll stay,” he said. “I’m quite…curious about this.” 

Hari gave him a strange look before she shrugged and looked at Minoru who grabbed her hand and started to drag her away chatting avidly as he did so, leaving Ryoga behind. 

 

It was rather fun to play tennis with Minoru and his friends, Hari thought as she hit a ball back over the net. Minoru hit the ball back again and smiled happily as he did so. She returned it easily and used a little more force to make the ball go faster. 

“Oh,” Minoru said as he missed the ball. 

“You almost had it,” Hari smiled at him, “you just have to work on your footwork so you can move a little faster. You read the direction of the ball correctly so it’s only your speed that was a little lacking right now.” 

He nodded. 

“I see,” he said. “I will get you next time!” 

She smiled and nodded. 

“I’m sure,” she said and glanced at the clock. “I’m sorry, Minoru-chan, but I have to go home now.” 

“Okay,” Minoru sighed and looked over at Ryoga who was playing with another boy with long blond hair and blue eyes. He had been introduced as Hikaru and as Minoru’s best friend. The other friend there, Sato, was sitting on the sideline watching this round having played against Hari the round before. 

 

“You’re awfully close to her,” Minoru scowled up at Ryoga who glanced down at him curiously. 

“Oh?” Ryoga arched a brow.

“You should know that she’s not yours,” Minoru said defiantly and folded his arms over his chest. 

Ryoga blinked and glanced over at Hari who was talking to Hikaru and Sato about something and looked like she was enjoying it. 

“Why would you say that?” Ryoga asked looking back at Minoru. “Do you like her perhaps?” 

Minoru glared at him. 

“I don’t go after girls that are spoken for,” he said. 

“And she’s spoken for?” Ryoga asked pensively. 

“Yes,” Minoru nodded. “So you should back off!” 

Ryoga smiled amusedly. 

“Just who has claimed her?” Ryoga asked tossing his orange back and forth between his hands as his eyes watched Minoru closely. “You seem to know.” 

Minoru bit down on his lips and looked away. 

“I won’t tell you,” he said stubbornly before he ran over to Hari and claimed her attention and leaving Ryoga to his thoughts. 

 

Hari was aware that Ryoga was watching her but she wasn’t sure why so she tried to ignore it. Her mind was also a little distracted by the meeting with Minoru and the last thing he had said. 

_Seiichi-nii-san is coming to Tokyo in a couple of days._

She couldn’t deny the happiness she felt when she heard that Seiichi was coming back to Tokyo. But why did she feel happy because he was coming to Tokyo? It really shouldn’t matter much to her…right? So why had her thoughts mediately jumped to excuses she could make to meet him? 

Just because he’s coming doesn’t mean that he wants to see her, she scolded herself. He hadn’t told her that he was coming so maybe he didn’t want to see her. He probably had enough to do without making time to see her. 

She frowned to herself. 

“What’s on your mind?” Ryoga asked. 

“Eh?” Hari blinked and looked at the older boy who was watching her. 

“You suddenly looked depressed,” Ryoga said. 

“Oh,” Hari said looking away from him and rubbed the back of her head self-consciously. “It’s nothing. I was just thinking.” 

Ryoga didn’t press the matter and she was grateful for that. She pushed the thoughts about Seiichi away and looked at Ryoga. 

“So, are you ready to go home?” she asked.

He gave her a surprised look before he smiled slightly. 

“You saw through me, huh?” he said. 

She shrugged. 

“I guessed you probably felt a little crowded back at the house,” she said. “With me, you wouldn’t face the same questions and effort to catch up.” 

He chuckled slightly and tossed the orange up into the air before catching it again. 

“You’re very observant,” he commented before he sighed and looked straight ahead before he spoke again. “I guess I do feel a little…uncomfortable in the house and with them. I don’t really know why…” 

She nodded. 

“I can understand that;” she said quietly. “They really do want to get to know you again, though.” 

“I suppose so,” he said. “I just need a little time to get used to it again. I thought…” 

“You thought they didn’t want you?” Hari completed his sentence. 

“Yeah,” he said and looked down at the ground. “My aunt… she never said anything about dad wanting to keep me. I thought he just gave up…” 

She looked at him and didn’t say anything for a moment considering what to say or if she should say anything at all. 

“I met Ryo-chan and Nanjiro and Rinko not too long after you had left,” Hari finally said and he glanced at her. “They were in Surrey for some tennis thing and I met Ryo-chan when he was practising tennis near where I was living at the time. He said he was playing so he could meet his brother again someday.” 

Ryoga stared at her for a moment before he smiled and his posture relaxed more. 

“I see,” was all he said but she knew he understood. 

 

“Hari-chan!” 

Hari looked up away from Hira and Sora to see Mizuno coming running toward her. 

“Hai? Mizuno-chan?” Hari frowned slightly when she took in the panicked look on his face and the way he had obviously sprinted to find her. “What’s wrong?” 

“Ryoma….Ryoma…” Mizuno gasped for air but Hari tensed and her eyes sharpened. 

“What?” she demanded. “What about Ryo-chan?” 

“He…he…” Mizuno still couldn’t get the words out. 

“Mizuno!” Hari snapped impatiently stepping away from her two friends and toward the younger boy before making an effort to calm down and calm the boy down so he could tell her what was wrong. “Calm down and tell me.” 

He inhaled deeply and looked at her. 

“He is hurt!” Mizuno said. “A boy from another school came and he caused trouble! He beat up Arai-sempai and was bullying Kachiro when Ryoma stepped in and…and the boy hit stones at Ryoma like they were tennis balls!” 

Hari paled as she listened but her hands fisted into tight balls as anger quickly filled her. 

“Where is Ryo-chan?” She asked. 

“He went with the coach at the health room,” Mizuno said. 

Hari didn’t listen to anything more and without saying goodbye to her friends she ran. She ran through the corridors ignoring the startled looks she got from the other students. Why had she lingered behind after class? Why hadn’t she made her way directly to the courts for their practice as she should have? If only… 

She mentally scolded herself the entire way to the health room. Finally, she was in front of the room and she threw open the door without caring about anything. She saw Ryoma and Ryuzaki inside the otherwise empty room. 

“Itee…Itee…Iteee…” Ryoma chanted. 

“Ryo-chan!” Hari exclaimed loudly feeling her pulse throb furiously and her eyes were wide and scared as she took in the seated form of her brother. He was already bandaged up, clearly, Ryuzaki had just finished with the bandages. 

“Hari-chan,” Ryuzaki scolded as she had a hand pressed to her chest. “You scared me! Don’t burst into a room like that!” 

Hari ignored her and rushed over to Ryoma and started to check him over to find out more about his injuries. She tilted his head and took in the bandage wrapped around his forehead and the bandage on his cheek. 

“Are you okay? Does it hurt?” she asked rapidly. “Are you hurt anywhere else? Who did this?” 

Ryoma pulled back and grabbed her hands that were reaching for him again in frantic movements. 

“Calm down, Hari,” he said and squeezed her hands slightly. “I’m fine.” 

“You don’t look fine to me!” Hari protested. “Tell me who did this?” 

“That’s what I’m trying to find out,” Ryuzaki interrupted and Hari glanced at her before looking back at Ryoma who looked stubbornly back at them. “This is pretty severe and I don’t believe that you got hurt like this by falling down.” 

Falling down? That wasn’t what Mizuno said… She narrowed her eyes at Ryoma who was now ignoring her (but still held her hands in his and gave them a squeeze) and looked at Ryuzaki. 

“I fell,” he insisted. 

Hari gritted her teeth together to stop the protests she felt ready to burst out because it was clear that Ryoma wasn’t going to say anything to the coach and for now she would respect that. At least for now and she would find out what had happened. That was for certain. 

Ryuzaki sighed and looked at Hari before looking back at Ryoma. 

“Fine,” she said. “I can’t make you tell me the truth.” 

She got up. 

“You decide what you can do at practice today,” she said before leaving the room leaving the two siblings alone. 

 

“Ryo-chan,” Hari said when they were on their own. “Tell me. What happened?” 

“I fell,” he said stubbornly. 

“I know that’s not the truth,” Hari scolded him. “Don’t lie to me. Mizuno-chan told me a boy from another school hurt you. You tell me what happened or I will find Arai and Kachiro and get them to tell me.” 

Ryoma was silent for a moment before he sat down and started to explain what had happened. How he had arrived early to practice and had changed and before going to the courts to warm up. How he had heard something and walked over to see what was going on and found Arai and Kachiro on the ground. Arai was beaten up and Kachiro was covered by tennis balls and metal racks. 

Hari was scowling as she listened and her eyes flashed dangerously as Ryoma explained how he had stepped in and the boy had been there looking for him. He had first hit one stone at him with his tennis racket but Ryoma had stopped it, but he froze. Then the boy had hit five stones at once…

“And I still froze and couldn’t stop them;” Ryoma finished. 

“Who was he?” Hari asked in a dangerously low voice. So unlike herself that he glanced at her almost warily. 

“It’s fine,” Ryoma said. “I’ll deal with him myself.” 

“Ryoma,” she said and stared at him. 

His name. Not the nickname. That wasn’t good, Ryoma thought as he wondered what to say. The truth was, he did know who the boy was but he had kept the name back on purpose because he didn’t want Hari to do something stupid. But with the way she was looking at him and the tone of voice… 

“Akutsu Jin,” Ryoma finally said quietly. 

“I see,” Hari said and got up. 

Her eyes softened as she looked at Ryoma and before he could say anything she hugged him and he could feel her tremble slightly against him and he put his arms around her. Hugging her back tightly knowing that she needed the comfort. Honestly, he needed it himself. 

 

“Is it just me or have Inui-sempai gone crazy about our training ever since he came back from Ginka?” Horio panted as they ran laps around the courts. 

“He and Yoshida-san are concerned about Ginka’s training,” Momoshiro answered glancing behind him to see the freshmen trio running and was mildly impressed that they still were keeping up.

“Are Ginka really that strong?” Horio asked. 

Momoshiro wasn’t that sure about that. But Inui and Yoshida had both been insistent that they had to step up their training before their match because when the two had gone to watch them they had found the entire team spread across the court completely worn out from what looked like a very hard practice. 

Hence the torturous amount of laps they were ordered to run.

He glanced to the side to see Ryoma coming up beside him with a smile on his face like he wasn’t even tired. The show-off, Momoshiro scoffed to himself before he looked to see Hari follow her brother like a shadow and a serious look on her face. 

She hadn’t smiled once since joining their practice. She had been silent even as Kikumaru had been cheerful in his greeting and clearly overjoyed in seeing the two siblings together again after their fight. Hari had just shrugged and pushed him away before going to start her warm-ups. 

Momoshiro had noticed Tezuka watching Hari with a sharp look but she ignored him as well as she stayed close to Ryoma. Ryoma seemed resigned to this and didn’t say anything or question it. It wasn’t that hard to guess the reason why. He looked at the bandages on Ryoma’s face. The boy was stubbornly keeping to his story that he fell, but they all knew it wasn’t the truth and Momoshiro was ready to bet his favourite tennis racket and his bike that Hari knew this as well and was planning her revenge. 

“Water time!” Inui called out and Momoshiro grabbed a cup of water that was placed on the table and drank it down greedily. 

He paused when he heard the groans from behind him and looked to see several people lying on the ground clutching their throats as she dry-heaved and groaned. It looked like they were dying… 

His eyes widened as he looked at Inui who had an evil smirk on his face holding up a cup. No… he couldn’t mean… No….

“Anyone who doesn’t finish a lap in 1 minute will have to drink this,” Inui said. 

“What is it?” 

“I call it,” he started and tilted the cup he was holding and something thick and red poured out…. Momoshiro didn’t want to think about what it was… “Penal tea.” 

“Great,” Hari muttered sarcastically but otherwise didn’t show any reaction in contrast to the horror-struck expressions on the others faces. 

Inui was evil! 

Momoshiro was sure. Inui was the evilest person in this school! Possibly in the entire world! 

He wasn’t going to drink it! No way! 

 

They ran. 

And they ran… 

No one wanted to stop and have to drink the Penal tea. 

Ryuzaki smirked as she watched the team run and her eyes took in Hari who was keeping pace with the regulars. She was the only non-regular left and she was in the lead with Ryoma beside her. Ryuzaki had a feeling that she could probably be further ahead but was purposely keeping pace with the younger boy. 

She moved her eyes away from the girl that had been quiet since arriving at the practice and to the fallen members of the tennis club, most still groaning about the penal tea. She could understand that. She was just glad that she didn’t have to drink it. She shuddered. How Inui actually liked that stuff was beyond her. 

“It’s their 30th lap!” Horio said stunned from the ground. 

“Awesome…” Kachiro said. 

“Even Hari-chan is keeping up with them…”Mizuno said. 

Ryuzaki smiled and glanced at Inui. 

“They really don’t want to drink that tea,” she commented. 

“This is the last lap,” he said and smirked making her feel worried for her regulars (and Hari). “So, I’m bringing out the secret weapon.” 

He held up a large pitcher of the penal tea before he called out: 

“This is for the last one to cross the line!” 

 

It turned out to be a close race and Hari watched them run. She didn’t bother trying to keep pace with them as she looked at Ryoma. He looked happy as he competed with the others despite the bandages on his face. She felt guilty as she looked at them. 

Though she could feel slight amusement as Ryoma gave Kawamura a racket and he bust with flames and yells of BURNING! Causing chaos in the group and Ryoma using the older boy to get past the others. 

She watched from behind that they finished as one before she jogged over the line last. She stopped and leaned forward slightly to catch her breath. 

“You were last,” Inui was suddenly in front of her with the large pitcher with the red Penal tea. 

“No! Not Hari-chan!” Kikumaru yelled. 

“No!” 

“Hari-chan!” 

Hari ignored them as she stared at Inui with a blank look on her face. He smirked at her and she sighed as she grabbed the pitcher. She remembered how the regulars had reacted to the Juice Inui had given them last time and wondered if this was as bad as that… 

“You meany!” Kikumaru yelled as he looked at Hari-chan with tears in his eyes. “Inui! To make Hari-chan drink it!” 

Hari lifted the pitcher to her lips and started to drink. She decided to just take it in one go and poured it down her throat. 

Everyone watched as she drank and drank before she finally lowered the pitcher and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. 

It wasn’t exactly good. She wouldn’t say that, but…she had tasted worse and this was far better than most potions she’d ever had during her time at Hogwarts. The Skele-Grow, for instance, …that was nasty. This was nothing to that. 

“Hm,” she said and looked at Inui. “I was expecting worse.” 

He gave her a curious look as he accepted the pitcher back while the others were silent for a long moment. 

“WHAT?!” 

Hari looked at them before looking around the ground to see several of the team still lying down and looking half-dead like it was the first time noticing them. She blinked and tilted her head. 

“What?” she asked confused. 

“You seriously can stand like you didn’t just drink a whole pitcher of that stuff?” Kikumaru exclaimed shocked. “Only Fujiko does that!” 

Hari glanced at Fuji who smiled and then she looked back at Kikumaru. 

“Eh? It’s not that bad,” she insisted. “Sure, a little spicy and strange but overall I’ve had worse.” 

They stared at her like she was crazy and despite her worry and anger toward a certain someone, she felt a spark of amusement go through her as she took in their various expressions. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? :) 
> 
> Hope you liked it! XD Thank you for reading and supporting the story. 
> 
> Do you want a look at the magical community back in Britain in the next chapter? ;) If so, I might add something ;) 
> 
> Japanese words used:  
> Nande - Why  
> Daijobu - Alright  
> Aniki - Older brother  
> Ie - No  
> Tadaima - I'm home  
> Oyaji - Dad/old man  
> Nii-san - Brother  
> Saa - Filler  
> Naruhodo - I see  
> Mochiron - Of course  
> Hai - Yes  
> Itee - Ouch


	24. Revenge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing!

**England/Scotland**

 

Mr John Granger was a quiet man. He never spoke much and had a thoughtful and calm air around him that worked very well with the profession he had as a dentist. His demeanour couldn’t help but reassure his patients and make them calm and give them a feeling of safety as they took their place in his chair. 

He had often been thought of as a weak man or too soft, but that was not true. He knew what he wanted from life and he was content with what he got. When he felt something was wrong he did something about it. Despite his father’s wishes for him to become a lawyer or a doctor he had refused and became a dentist. It suited him much better. 

He had met his wife, Jane Granger nee Stewart, at school and they had married the year they finished and started their practice together. A couple of years later they had a daughter, Hermione, and from the first moment Mr Granger had looked at her he had been lost. She was the pride in his heart. The brilliant mind of hers would take her places he couldn’t even imagine. 

Not to mention the magic part. Now, that had been a surprise. To learn that the strange things she did as a child was magic had been a shock for him and his wife. They had accepted it, though. It just made Hermione even more special. 

The only thing he didn’t like about the magic part was the fact that he sometimes felt like he was losing his daughter. Losing her to a world he never could be a part of and to people who were like her in ways he and his wife were not. It didn’t stop him from bragging about his daughter in those rare occasions he felt like it to his patients or friends. How she was the top of her year at the boarding school for the _gifted_ for example. His friends had those patronising looks when he would talk about her though, and he felt frustrated that they didn’t see the same things he did when he looked at his little girl. 

But unfortunately Hermione had always been…different from the other kids growing up. Her love of books and knowledge along with the strange things happening around her from time to time kept the other kids away from her. It didn’t matter how many playdates they set up for her, she was always left on her own. 

It had worried him when he sent her off to Hogwarts. How was he supposed to protect her when she was so far away from him? The first few letters from her did nothing to ease his mind. It was clear that she was as alone as she always had been. The hope that they had magic in common to bind them together crashed down around his feet. 

But then… one day right after Halloween he got two letters. One was from the school telling them that Hermione and two other students had purposely gone after a troll and tried (and managed!) to stop it themselves. He had to take a moment to process the fact that trolls were real and that his 12-year-old daughter had met one! But trolls couldn’t be that dangerous, could they? If three 11/12 year-olds could handle it? Right? 

But it was the other letter that had calmed his heart. It was from Hermione. It was such a different letter than anyone she had ever written to them before and had been delivered by a beautiful snowy owl named Hedwig according to Hermione’s letter. 

_I made two friends! I finally have two friends and they are really kind and nice to me! They don’t laugh at me. Their names are Harriett Lily Potter, but she wants to be called Hari, and Ronald Weasley, he wants to be called Ron._

_Hari is known as the Girl Who Lived because she survived when a Dark Wizard tried to kill her when she was a baby, but she doesn’t like her fame though. I can understand that…I would rather have my parents than be famous because he killed them and failed to kill me. She’s really nice, though. She always did smile at me even before when I was a little…stuck up because of the rules. She even had Lavender change beds with her and now we have the beds next to each other in the dorm! It’s great!_

_Ron is a little loud and can say something mean before he really thinks but I know he doesn’t mean it. He’s always quick to apologize, though, if he says something mean. He stopped a boy from our class today from teasing me. He has five older brothers and one little sister. She starts school next year. I wonder what it would have been like to have so many siblings? Hari does too…_

The letter had continued like that for the most part and he had felt reassured that she finally had found someone who would be there with her. 

Yet, the magical world wasn’t just great. Mr Granger had learned that the hard way when they got the notice that Hermione had been hurt and petrified. It didn’t help that they hadn’t learned about this until the end of the year when Hermione had been healed and back to herself again. They didn’t even have the chance to see their daughter while she was hurt and what kind of school didn’t contact the guardians when their kid was hurt?

Something fishy was going on and he didn’t like it. No, he didn’t like it at all. But he hadn’t pulled her out because Hermione had begged him not to and she didn’t want to lose her friends. She wouldn’t, couldn’t, leave Hari and Ron. 

With a heavy heart Mr Granger allowed her to continue onto her third year and now her best friend, Hari, was suspended because of an escaped prisoner and being blamed for him escaping from Hogwarts. Just how did a mass-murderer even get into the school and close to three students in the first place? 

He and his wife had protested against the three of them getting suspended for something that never should have been allowed to happen in the first place. They never should have been allowed to get near someone dangerous like Sirius Black. If he was a mass murderer like they claimed then how could they blame three third-year students for him escaping? He must be much stronger and capable than them, and who knew what he had threatened them with. 

He knew Mr and Mrs Weasley also had protested something fierce and he honestly hoped he never was on the wrong end of Mrs Weasley because that woman seriously had a pair of lungs… 

In the end, Ron and Hermione hadn’t been suspended. But Hari had been. It didn’t matter what he or the Weasley’s said. The Minister remained set on suspending her. They laid the blame on Hari for dragging Hermione and Ron with her into danger. 

Ridiculous. 

Even Mr Granger knew that was weak, but unfortunately, nothing he said or the Weasley’s said would change the Minister’s mind and Hari was suspended. 

Hermione and Ron were both distraught with guilt and Mr Granger knew that they would join Hari in punishment if they could, but Hari had told them she was happy they didn’t get suspended and that she was happy to take the blame herself. 

Mr Granger had seen the sincerity in Hari’s eyes and the brave smile she had given both Hermione and Ron before she was guided out of the headmaster office by a stern looking McGonagall. He couldn’t help but be impressed by the girl. 

Then a few weeks ago he had gotten a letter from Hermione where she was almost hysterical and pleading for help. Apparently, Hari was now missing and had resigned from Hogwarts, something no one had seen coming. Hermione said that Hari had sent a letter to Professor Dumbledore resigning and when they went to look for her, they found an empty house and no sign of Hari or her aunt and uncle. 

And that was where he came in. 

 

Mr Granger had spent time in finding them. It was a little more complicated than he liked but he had eventually managed to get a new address from Grunnings, the company Vernon Dursley worked for, by stating that he was a friend of the family and that they had lost touch since he had been abroad, of course, he hadn’t been, but if the lie would get him closer to his daughter’s best friend he would tell the lie again. He had met Hari Potter a few times and found her to be a quiet and nice girl, shy around new people but caring. 

Well, now he had found them and had taken a day off work to go and see the Dursley’s in Liverpool. Their new home. 

 

“Have you heard anything from Miss Potter?” 

Hermione hid a sigh as they were asked again and she heard Ron shift a little on his feet next to her in exaggeration. She knew he was equally tired of being asked this. 

“No, professor,” Hermione said and looked up at Dumbledore who was watching them closely. 

“You know we need to find her for her own safety,” the headmaster said.

“Yes, sir,” Ron said blankly. 

“I find it very hard to believe that the girl hasn’t contacted you in any way,” Snape’s voice sneered. 

Hermione fisted her hands while Ron glared at their potion professor. 

“Well, if…” Ron started but Hermione elbowed him making him cut himself off and just continue to glare. 

“We have tried to send her letters, but they have been returned unopened,” Hermione said calmly and kept her eyes on Dumbledore and was that guilt in his eyes she saw? It was gone so quickly that she wasn’t sure she had even seen it. 

“I see,” Dumbledore said. 

“So you have no clue on where Hari is?” Ron asked an almost desperate note was in his tone now. 

“I’m afraid not,” Dumbledore finally answered. 

Hermione was worried and she was not sure she should be happy or not over the fact that they hadn’t found Hari yet. What if she was in trouble and was waiting for them to find her and save her? What if some of Voldemort’s old supporters had taken her? 

She pushed the fear away reminding herself that Hari had sent a letter resigning from school. She wouldn’t do that if she had been kidnapped. At least that was what Hermione was trying to convince herself of. When Dumbledore dismissed them she grabbed Ron’s arm and dragged him toward the door. 

 

“I can’t believe that he stands there and pretends that he’s looking for Hari,” Ron snapped as soon as they entered the common room again. 

“I know, Ron,” Hermione sighed tiredly and glanced around to see the looks sent their way (like normal these days) before she guided Ron to a quiet corner of the room where they could be by themselves. “I don’t like it either.” 

“If not for Snape she wouldn’t even have been suspended and they wouldn’t have to look for her,” Ron said annoyed. “And now he’s acting like he’s out there looking for her when everyone knows he has been trying to get her out of this school from the day she entered!” 

“I’m sure he…” Hermione started but she was cut off but Ron. 

“Don’t start, Hermione!” he snapped. “He hated James Potter and he hates Hari because of it! Dumbledore is just blind to see it.” 

Hermione sighed and looked out of the window overlooking the school grounds. She missed walking through the grounds with Hari at her side; she missed their talks and their laughs. When was the last time she had laughed? She couldn’t even remember… 

“You haven’t heard anything from your dad, have you?” Ron asked quietly. 

Hermione glanced over at her remaining best friend and saw the hope in his light blue eyes. She sighed and shook her head. 

“Not yet,” she said. “But hopefully he will find something.” 

Ron nodded and sank back into his chair. 

“The school year is almost over,” he said. 

“I know,” Hermione nodded. “I look forward to it.” 

“Oh? What’s this I hear?” Another voice sounded and Hermione looked up to see Fred and George Weasley coming up behind them. It was Fred who had talked. 

“Hermione Granger saying…” George smirked. 

“…she looks forward to school being over?” Fred finished with an identical smirk. 

“I must be imagining things…” George proclaimed dramatically. 

“Dreaming!” 

“Hallucinating!” 

“Oh shut up!” Hermione snapped at them impatiently but she felt her lips twitch slightly amused. 

Fred and George grinned at her before they sat down and looked at them. 

“So, have you been summoned to old Dumbledore again?” George asked. 

“Yes,” Ron muttered. 

“So, still no news about Hari,” Fred sighed and looked serious for a moment. “I wonder where she is.” 

“Me too,” Ginny said as she joined them. “Mum is frantic with worry.” 

“She’s not alone,” Ron said and glanced at Hermione. 

“Just what happened?” Ginny asked looking at the two. “Just why would they say that she helped Black to escape?” 

 

Hermione glanced at Ginny and the twins and saw them looking at them with a serious look on their faces. Any trace of a joke was gone from Fred and George’s faces for once and it almost looked…wrong. 

They had not told anyone what had really happened that night. Not even these three and she was not sure that they should say anything at all. This was Hari’s secret. 

“Not any of your business,” Ron said sharply. 

Clearly he shared her view of this. 

“Oh? We’re here worrying about her,” Ginny said coldly. “I would say it is our business.” 

“Yeah,” the twins nodded. 

“It’s not our secret to tell and we won’t reveal Hari’s secrets to anyone,” Hermione said in a tone that said that their minds were made up. 

She felt their eyes on her but was relieved when they backed off and just grunted something but she couldn’t catch what it was. 

“Do you know what’s being done to find her?” Fred asked changing the subject. 

Hermione and Ron exchanged a look before looking over at the others. 

“No,” Hermione shook her head. “I’m sure they are making inquiries and trying to track her movements since going back to her aunt and uncle.” 

“It shouldn’t be that difficult, should it?” Ginny wondered. “I mean with magic…” 

Hermione shrugged and looked away again. 

“Hermione?” George’s voice made her look at him to find him looking at her with a pensive look on his face. 

“I think that if Hari wanted to…hide she could do it,” Hermione said quietly. “Especially since she has grown up in the muggle world and most witches and wizards are useless in the muggle world.” 

“So we should look in the muggle world?” Ginny asked. 

Ron and Hermione exchanged looks again. 

“You two knows something,” Fred stated. “What is it?” 

“We…” 

“Tell us!” George snapped. “We’re worried about Hari too! We want to help find her and make sure she’s safe! She’s our little sister too!” 

Fred looked at his twin before he looked back at Ron and Hermione. 

“Like my good twin said; we care about Hari as well and want to help,” he said more calmly than his brother but still with urgency in his voice, “so if you have something planned we want to help.” 

Hermione sighed and glanced at Ron who nodded in agreement. He knew what she was asking. 

“We’re not really doing anything right now,” Hermione said after a moment. “I just…I asked my dad for help. He’s making some inquiries in the Muggle world on his own and will let me know if he finds anything.” 

 

**Seigaku**

 

Hari petted Hedwig’s feathers as she thought. She had gone straight to her room when she came back from school and was now thinking about what to do next. There was no way she was going to allow that boy getting away with hurting her little brother like that. 

But how could she get back at him. She knew she could not exactly just walk up to him and start a fight. For one, she didn’t really believe that violence solved anything. Second, she was a girl and however strong she might be he was sure to be stronger. Annoying as it was, but she had to accept the facts. It wasn’t like she could use her magic in a fight, so…it was out. 

So she had to find another way to do it. Another way to let him know that messing with Ryoma was not acceptable and she was not going to stand back and just watch it happen. 

Hedwig hooted and she smiled slightly as she met the intelligent yellow eyes. 

“You know what to do about a boy who needs to learn his place?” Hari asked. 

Hedwig hooted again and Hari laughed. 

“Yeah, maybe I should let you loose on him…” Hari said and blinked. That would be amusing, she thought.

She let out a slightly frustrated huff before she straightened and looked toward her trunk. She moved over to it and pulled the top open and looked inside. She ignored the magic books and looked for a small box that she had almost forgotten was there. 

She found it tucked under her invisibility cloak and Marauder’s Map. Her hands lingered over the map for a moment before she gave in and pulled it out along with the box. 

She sat down at the bed and pulled out her wand as she tapped the map and said: 

“I solemnly swear I’m up to no good.” 

She watched as the map started to spread out on the parchment and smiled as she read the names, Prongs, Padfoot and Moony (she ignored Wormtail completely). 

She searched the map and took a moment to remember the time difference. That meant that since it was still morning for them and they probably were just starting with the classes. 

As she searched the different classrooms (she couldn’t remember what class they would have now) she came over several names of people she knew and missed. 

George Weasley.

Fred Weasley. 

She smiled as she noticed that they were seated at the back of the classroom and Lee Jordan was seated right in front of them with Angelina Johnson. She wondered if they were planning a prank. 

She moved on and saw the name Luna Lovegood next to Ginevra Weasley. Hari lingered for a moment by the names and wondered if Ginny was alright and happy. Even Luna. She had met her earlier that year on one of her private wanderings and found the girl very unique and interesting. 

With a sigh she moved on again and finally she found the names she had been searching for. They had Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall. 

Ronald Weasley.

Hermione Granger. 

Hari traced the names with her finger and noticed that they were seated at the back of the classroom. That was… odd. Hermione always tried to sit in the front during transfiguration because she loved that subject and Professor McGonagall was her favourite professor. So why were they sitting at the back? 

A frown marred her face as she stared at the names of her two best friends. Oh, how she missed them. If only she could send Hedwig, but… it was such a long journey and she really didn’t want Hedwig to have to fly that far… And…what if Dumbledore saw her? He could track her on the way back and find her. 

No, the risk was too big. 

But…how she wished. She really wanted to see if their friendship really was as strong as she believed it to be or if they really just cared about the Girl-Who-Lived part of her. She needed to know. She was still upset over the lack of letters during the time she had spent with the Dursley’s. Did they blame her for the trouble they got in? 

With a frustrated sigh and a shake of the head she wiped the map again and pushed it away from her. She really shouldn’t be thinking about this. It would only make her sad. 

She pushed the thoughts about her friends out of her mind for now and pulled opened the box and smiled as she saw the prank supplies inside. She had gotten it from Fred and George at Christmas and hadn’t gotten a chance to use it yet. 

She knew she couldn’t use the obvious magical pranks but there must be something inside that she could use. 

 

“Inui-sempai!” Hari called and the taller teen turned and looked at her curiously. 

“Hari-chan?” he asked. “My data won’t tell me why you have searched me out.” 

Hari smiled amused but didn’t comment on it. 

“I need your help,” she said. 

“My help?” Inui repeated surprised. “With what?” 

“Your special juice,” Hari said. 

“Ah, you want some more?” he asked looking delighted. “You must have seen the benefit of my penal tea!” 

Hari wasn’t sure she should burst his bubble of happiness or not. 

“Kind of,” she said vaguely. “Could you give me some?” 

He looked at her for a moment before he nodded. 

“Sure,” he said. “I’m working on something stronger now. I’m curious to see how you will handle that next time.” 

Hari kept her face in polite interest but mentally wondered if she might have gotten herself into something she shouldn’t have. 

 

“What do you have planned?” Fuji asked as he came up beside Hari. 

Hari glanced at him and was silent for a moment. She wondered if she should be upset with him or not, he had told Ryoma about her new move when she had asked him not to. Though, it was what had helped them make up after their fight. 

“Who says I have something planned?” Hari finally asked innocently as she decided against being upset with him. 

“The look on your face,” Fuji smiled his signature eye-closed-smile. “You look like you’re planning world domination.” 

Hari snorted. 

“Nothing that large,” Hari shrugged.

Fuji looked at her for a moment before he looked away. 

“I’m sorry I told Echizen about your new move,” he said. 

Hari glanced at him and smiled slightly. 

“It’s alright,” she said. “I was upset at first but I know you only did it to help.” 

Fuji nodded. 

“I’m glad you talked,” he said and she smiled. 

“So, how are things going with Yuta-chan?” Hari asked. 

“He’s talking to me at least,” Fuji said with a smile and Hari chuckled. 

“Aw, look at that smile,” Hari teased and he mocked glared at her. “I’m glad, though.” 

Fuji nodded. 

 

So much white. There was so much white… white was everywhere. 

Hari looked around in something akin to horror in her eyes as she took in the white building that was the Yamabuki Junior High, the white uniforms on the students and was that a white path that leads up to the school? 

Ugh, where was the colour? 

She shook herself as she tried to focus on her objective. Finding Akutsu Jin and pay him back for everything he did to Ryoma. She had her invisibility cloak on so all she had to worry about was colliding into someone, but she would be careful. 

She moved quietly through the school and hoped that he would be at tennis practice because if not she wasn’t sure where to look for him. She moved around the school and somehow found the tennis courts without getting lost. 

Ha, Ryo-chan! Look at that! I can find something without getting lost, Hari thought to herself. 

She could see that the practice was going on and her eyes eventually found the one she was looking for. Her hands fisted under her cloak and she itched to march over there to yell at him but right now wasn’t the time. 

She felt a little bad about spying on their practice. She really didn’t want to do that, but… she had to observe Akutsu so she decided to never say a word about what she learned by observing her target. She wouldn’t pay attention to what the others were doing. 

She moved closer as she watched Akutsu put his water bottle down and bark something at a tiny looking first year who smile back at him seemingly unaffected by the hard voice from Akutsu. 

Hari scowled but at the same time cast a curious look at the tiny first year. His navy blue hair and green headband kind of reminded her of Seiichi but it was only a fleeting resemblance. 

Hari looked at them. 

It was important that she made her move at the right time. 

Deciding that they were in the middle of the practice she made her way toward the locker rooms and found the door unlocked. She slipped inside and closed the door behind her. She could feel the adrenaline pulse through her as she looked around. 

Now, where were his things? 

She dismissed several bags until she found one and was smirked at her luck. His name was stitched inside the bag. She briefly wondered who had done it before she pushed the thought away. 

She looked at the uniform hanging up and pulled out her wand. Oh, so happy she was that the trace was gone from it… 

She stubbornly pushed away any second thoughts as Ryoma’s face flashed in her mind. Bruised and bloodied. 

She muttered the spell before she slipped back outside and closed the door. 

She moved back to the courts to find them still going on, but that wasn’t surprising because she had only been gone between five to ten minutes. 

She pulled out her Penal Tea given to her by Inui and sneaked over to the water bottles. This was going to be tricky. To exchange the bottles without anyone noticing. 

She looked around and noticed the first year close by before he walked away when someone called him and she noticed that they were gathering around the coach now. He looked to be an old man but she didn’t pay him any attention. 

She looked around again before she made the swap. 

With that she backed away and moved to the corner of the school and waited. 

 

Akutsu scowled as he was forced to listen to the coach. He glared at the old man and cursed the fact that he had dragged him to practice when he really wanted to go and find Echizen Hari. She had been the one he had really looked for last time but had only found Echizen Ryoma instead. 

Well, it was fun to play with him as well. So it hadn’t been a complete waste of time, but he was curious about this girl he had seen play against Ginka and win. The way she had smirked and seemed so confident. 

He couldn’t wait to try to take it away and see how she reacted to him. 

Instead, he was cornered into attending this waste of time practice. Just because the tournament was happening soon. So meaningless. 

He scoffed when the Captain said something and before the coach even dismissed them he had turned and was walking away. Maybe he could still find Echizen Hari somewhere and see what kind of girl she was… 

He smirked. 

He grabbed the water bottle and distractedly took a deep drag from the bottle before he froze and the bottle dropping to the ground opening by the force and something thick and red spilt across the ground. 

His mouth exploded in what must be the worst taste ever invented! It was like it was evolving as the thick unidentified _mass_ forced itself down his throat unstoppable and unmovable. 

He felt sick. 

He could already feel the cold sweat breaking out over his face and he was sure he had paled or turned blue. 

He spat, he chocked and then he spat some more. 

“Blegh!” 

The rest of the team had stopped and was staring at him with wide horrified eyes as he spat and jumped around. 

“W-a-t-e-r…” he gasped and grabbed for the nearest person who happened to be Minami Kentaro, the Captain. 

“What’s going on?” Minami asked. 

“What’s he carrying on about?” Sengoku asked in what Akutsu was sure was a much to cheerful voice but right now he didn’t even have the energy to glare at the happy-go-lucky guy. 

“Water…” he hissed. 

“Here,” Dan said hurriedly and pushed a bottle into his hand and Akutsu drank and drank but despite the water now running down through his throat the taste festered in his mouth. 

He collapsed gasping to the ground while his team stared at him. 

“What’s with you?” Minami asked. 

Akutsu groaned. 

“Do you need the nurse?” Dan asked worriedly. 

Akutsu shook his head. 

 

“That thing…” he gritted out through his teeth when he had managed to gather his breath and stopped the involuntary chocking and spitting some ten minutes later. “That thing…” 

“What thing?” Dan asked the only one lingering close to him as the others had gone to their finishing exercises for the practice. 

Akutsu pushed himself up and looked at the dropped bottle and the red mass (there was no other way to describe it) that was spilt on the ground. 

“What was that?!” Akutsu growled fiercely. “WHO PUT THAT IN MY BOTTLE?!” 

Dan blinked at him and then looked at the red thing with wide eyes. 

“I don’t know…” he said. 

“When I find the one who did this…” Akutsu gritted out and glared at the team who was now finishing up and coming closer. They paused when they saw the glare he directed at them and looked wary. 

“No one here did it,” Minami spoke up and he was calm as usual and Akutsu just glared at him but he was one of the few he wasn’t all that affected by his glare. 

Akutsu turned and stalked toward the locker room with the others following behind him a few steps behind. 

He threw the door opened and marched over to his spot before he froze. Again. 

There on his spot was a pink uniform with purple dots hanging up where his uniform had been hanging. It was the most horrific sight he had ever seen and he couldn’t even start to think on how to describe it. 

"NANI?!” He yelled. 

The rest of the team had gone quiet. Again. They were staring at the uniform with wide eyes. 

Akutsu grabbed it and looked at the tag inside and saw his name written there like it should but again shouldn’t because…because this couldn’t be his! 

What was going on? 

Who could have done this? 

Could silence be loud? 

Because it was like the silence inside the locker room was very loud as they all stared at the pink, purple dotted uniform with disbelieving eyes. 

Then…Sengoku burst out laughing loud and cheerful. It seemed to be triggering the others who also laughed but they tried not to as they cast wary and worried looks at Akutsu who looked like he was about to explode. 

“WHO DID THIS?! WHAT’S GOING ON HERE?!” 

 

Hari laughed as she heard the loud exclamation and knew he had seen her gift to him. She was lucky there was no one around right then because if so they would have heard laughter coming from the empty air. 

She quickly got control of herself as she smirked to herself.

That would show him not to mess with her little brother! 

 

Hari was practically skipping for the next couple of days and couldn’t help the random smiles that crossed her face. Honestly, she was starting to freak Ryoma and Ryoga out as they watched her suddenly start laughing to herself. 

“Wonder what she’s up to…” Ryoma muttered eying her warily. 

“What could she be up to?” Ryoga asked his brother. 

“Oh, you don’t know Hari as I do,” Ryoma said grimly. “She can be really…vindictive if she chose to and when she looks like that…” 

He shuddered. 

"Hai?"

“The last time she had pranked someone and you do not want to know what she did…” Ryoma said wisely. 

“You think she has pranked someone?” Ryoga asked curiously. 

“Oh, yeah…” Ryoma nodded. “Dare ga omou …” 

Ryoga nodded. 

“I hope it’s not us…” Ryoga said. 

Ryoma stilled and then looked around himself suddenly wary. 

“Me to…” 

 

“You looked happy,” Nanjiro smiled. 

“Saa?” Hari looked at him innocently. “Me?” 

“Yeah, you,” Nanjiro nodded with a smile. “What did you do?” 

“I didn’t do anything,” Hari denied. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” 

“Sure you don’t,” Nanjiro laughed. “I hope you took pictures, Hari-chan.” 

Hari grinned at him with a mysterious smile as she waved at the man and left the house. 

 

“I demand to know who did this!” 

Hari looked up from where she had been warming up and saw Akutsu Jin standing there at the edge of the court glaring around at them. He was holding up his pink and purple dotted uniform (unfortunately he had gotten a new one and was wearing a clean and white uniform now). 

“What are you talking about, Akutsu?” Kawamura asked confused. 

Momoshiro took one glance at the uniform and laughed with Kikumaru soon following. 

“This! I found this a couple of days ago in the locker room after practice!” Akutsu growled. “And someone changed my water bottle with a bottle with something really terrible to drink.” 

Hari worked to keep her face blank as she felt Ryoma and Fuji look at her as she stared blankly at Akutsu. His cheeks were red in his anger as his eyes were narrow and glaring at them all. 

“That sounds…awful, but what makes you think that someone here has done it?” Hari asked in a calm and bored voice. 

His eyes found her as she straightened up and looked at him. Her face didn’t betray anything as she watched him. 

“I’ve been working my way through…suspects,” he said. “This is the last place.” 

Hari shrugged. 

“Still, doesn’t mean that anyone here did it,” she said. 

His hands were fisted as he stalked over to her and stopped right in front of her. She was aware that Kawamura, Fuji and Ryoma all stepped closer to her and everyone had tensed. 

“The others didn’t do it,” he said. “They would have spilt their guts just out of fear… they were all weak…. But you….” 

Hari arched a brow. 

“Me?” she asked. 

“You’re different…” Akutsu said silently. “You could do this.” 

Silence spread through the team and Hari thought they could hear a pin drop. 

“That’s some serious accusations, Akutsu-san,” Hari said. “You don’t have any proof for that.” 

He glared at her and reached over to grab her shoulder but before he could his hand was snatched and he was pulled back.

Hari had expected it to be Fuji or Ryoma to do it but it was Kawamura. The quiet and kind boy was now standing between her and Akutsu and had pushed him back. From what Hari could see of Kawamura’s face he was looking very grave. 

“Back off, Akutsu!” Kawamura barked at him. “I told you to stay away from my team.” 

“I’m going to pay her back for what she did!” Akutsu growled at him.

“You can’t prove that she did anything!” Kawamura argued. “Stay away from Hari-chan.” 

Hari blinked a little surprised by the unexpected interference. 

“I know she did it,” Akutsu said, “no one else could have. I see it in her eyes. She did it.” 

Before Kawamura could say anything else Hari stepped up next to him and looked at Akutsu. 

“There’s no proof,” Hari said again and her eyes turned a kind of frigid cold that almost seemed to spark as they locked onto the taller boy. “But you… you will regret hurting my little brother. You hurt Ryo-chan and if you ever get close to hurt him again I will make you regret ever being close to him. No one hurt my little brother and gets away with it. Let that be your warning, A-k-u-t-s-u-s-a-n.” 

With that she turned around and walked away before she snapped and used her magic in front of all these muggles. She could feel her magic bursting under her skin and she had to get control over herself again. 

To see that boy so close to Ryoma and be reminded of how he had hurt him, how he had made him bleed. Well, that was not going to happen again. She swore to it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? XD 
> 
> Hope you liked it. I hope you liked Hari's revenge on Akutsu! I felt like a prank (or two) would be something Hari would do in order to get revenge. Not to say that she's done, but we'll see if she has to do something more ;) I have something planned for the next chapter regarding, Akutsu, Hari and Seiichi. That's the only teaser you'll get ;) Hehe. 
> 
> I hope you liked the peek at what Ron and Hermione is up to. Also, I had this idea of having Hermione's parents more involved in this. That's why it's Hermione's dad that is looking for the Dursley's and not anyone else. XD 
> 
> Thank you for reading and supporting this story! If you have questions or any feedback do not hesitate to let me know ;) 
> 
> Japanese words used:  
> Nani - What  
> Hai - Yes  
> Dare ga omou - Wonder who  
> Saa - filler


	25. Saeki - Seiichi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing!

“I wished I could go to Chiba,” Hari sighed as she sank down at the floor of An’s room. 

“Why can’t you?” An asked looking over at her. 

“Nanjiro and Rinko told me that I can’t use the trains since I keep getting lost,” Hari pouted. 

An giggled making Hari mock glare at her. 

“It’s not funny,” Hari whined. 

“It kind of is,” An smiled. “But does that mean that you haven’t seen your Saeki in a while?” 

Hari frowned as she looked up at a mischievous looking An. 

“He’s not ‘my’ Saeki,” she protested and felt…different from before. But what was it that felt different? 

“Of course not,” An smirked teasingly flipping a page in the book she was looking at. “And you do not want to see him again.” 

Hari was full out frowning now as she looked at her friend. She did want to see Saeki, but it was because she wanted to get more help with her technique. She had reached a step where she was stuck and she was in need of help. 

Of course, seeing Saeki again would be great. She liked his company but… the fluttering feeling in her stomach was not there as she thought about seeing him again. Her brows furrowed as she took in the realisation but at the same time not understanding what it meant. 

She liked Saeki. 

Right? 

But then Seiichi’s face flashed in her mind and she remembered Minoru telling her that Seiichi was coming to Tokyo. Actually, he should be here now if the younger boy was correct. 

“-ri-chan? Hari-chan?” A hand waved in front of her eyes making her blink and saw An giving her a curious look. “Where did you disappear to?” 

Hari shrugged and smiled as she pushed her thoughts out of her mind for now. She pushed her hair back behind her ear as she did so. 

“Just thinking,” she dismissed the question. “What about you? Do you have a boy you like?” 

An blushed and looked away making Hari grin. 

“You do,” she cheered. “Who?” 

An blushed even more and sat back at the bed trying to avoid looking at Hari who was grinning. 

“No one,” An protested. 

“Right. Even I see that’s a lie,” Hari said with a look. “Come on, An-chan! Tell me.” 

An still didn’t say anything and folded her hands over her chest and refused to look at Hari. 

“An-chan! An-chan! Tell me! Please….” 

Hari jumped up on the bed next to her friend and threw her arms around the other girl as she widened her eyes and pouted. 

An glanced at her and Hari could see her break and soon she was giggling. 

“Fine,” An laughed and pushed Hari away. Hari allowed herself to be pushed away and leaned against the wall behind the bed and watched An with a curious look on her face. “I’ll tell you.” 

“Ma?” Hari smiled. 

“Momoshiro,” An said with a blush. 

“Momo-chan?” Hari grinned. “I was sure you would say Kamio.” 

An blinked at her and shook her head. 

“Kamio is just a friend,” An said, “he’s almost like an older brother. Like Kippei-nii-san.” 

Hari nodded. 

“So, do you plan on telling Momo-chan?” Hari asked curiously. 

An shrugged and eyed Hari. 

“Are you going to tell Saeki?” she asked back. 

Hari frowned. 

“Don’t think so,” she said. “I’m not sure if I like him like that anymore.” 

An arched a brow. “Oh?” 

Hari sighed. “I haven’t seen him in a while and…I don’t really think about him as I did anymore. I…” 

She was thinking about Seiichi instead. 

“Are you thinking about someone else?” An asked catching on to her thoughts. 

Hari groaned slightly as she leaned her head back against the wall and closed her eyes. 

“Shirimasen,” she admitted. “I’m really confused.” 

An look at her for a moment and hummed thoughtfully before she jumped up and Hari almost slid to the side when the weight on the mattress next to her disappeared. 

“Come on,” An said. 

“Saa?” 

“Come on, Hari,” An grinned and reached out and grabbed Hari’s hand and pulled her up from the bed. 

 

Hari blinked when she realised that they were at the train station. She looked around before she looked at An who was still grinning and had a proud look on her face. 

“An-chan? Why are we here?” Hari asked.

“We’re going to Chiba!” An declared. 

“What?” Hari blinked, “but…” 

“You can’t go alone because you get lost,” An interrupted her, “but I won’t get lost, so we can go together!” 

Hari snorted but shrugged. She guessed that was technically correct. Besides, she wanted to go and see Saeki and get his help with her motion vision. 

“Okay, but why are we going there?” Hari asked when they were seated on the train. 

“Because seeing Saeki again will help you figure out if you still like him or not,” An said surely. 

Hari blinked. 

“That’s…a good idea,” she admitted a little reluctantly. 

An grinned and nodded. Soon they were chatting and laughing in a way Hari really missed. It was different to just hand out with a fellow girl and not just boys. It was like that at Hogwarts too. Hari always enjoyed just hanging out with Hermione sometimes; it was just different from how it was when Ron was there as well. Not that she didn’t like hanging out with Ron or the other boys from her team, because she did. 

 

Hari and An made their way to Rokkaku Middle School where Hari knew Saeki often had an early afternoon practice on Saturdays. She hoped that he had that today as well because she wanted to surprise him. If he wasn’t there she would call him and ask where he was, but that would be the boring option. 

“I think it’s over there;” An said. 

“Hai,” Hari agreed. “I recognise it now.” 

They walked further up the hill before they reached the school and Hari noticed that An looked around in curiosity but since Hari had seen it before she didn’t bother to study the grounds that much. 

They heard the sounds from practice going on before they saw it and from the sounds of things the kids that normally were there watching was there again as well. She smiled slightly at that. 

Hari saw him immediately. He was talking to their coach and was smiling like he normally did. His hair was still the same silver-white with darker hair at the bottom, he was still handsome and had a very nice smile, Hari thought as she studied him.

“Where is he?” An asked eagerly. 

Hari glanced at her and saw her watching the boys that were now stretching after their practice. She sighed a little. 

“He’s the one talking to their coach;” Hari said and An looked to the side of the court and blinked. 

“He’s handsome,” she said approvingly. “I like his hair.” 

Hari laughed and shook her head. 

“Come on,” she said when she stopped laughing. 

 

“Hari-chan!” Saeki smiled when he saw her. “I didn’t know you were coming.” 

“Jiro-kun,” Hari grinned and he rolled his eyes at her, “I hadn’t planned to.” 

The others had noticed her now and smiled as they waved at her and she saw them throw curious looks at An who was looking back equally curious. 

“YOU HAVEN’T BEEN HERE IN FOREVER!” Aoi yelled as he skipped over to them. 

“Don’t yell, Aoi!” Shudo complained and rubbed his ear. “Hello, Echizen-san.” 

“Shudo-san,” Hari nodded politely. 

“But, Aoi is correct,” Amane said with an easy smile, “you haven’t been here in a long time.” 

Hari grimaced and Saeki chuckled amused making her glare at him. 

“Well, I was told not to use the trains on my own,” Hari reluctantly said. 

“She kept getting lost using the trains,” Saeki added helpfully. “Didn’t you, Hari-chan?” 

The others laughed and Hari pouted and crossed her arms over her chest as she looked away. 

“It’s not my fault,” she muttered petulantly. 

“But how are you here now, then?” Kurobane asked curiously. 

Hari glanced at An who had stayed in the background while she greeted the team. When she met Hari’s eyes An stepped forward and the others took notice of her and blinked. 

“ANOTHER PRETTY GIRL!” Aoi grinned. 

“AOI!” Shudo snapped annoyed. 

Hari laughed. 

“This is my friend, Tachibana An,” Hari introduced, “she offered to be my guide so I’m not breaking any rules. I’m not taking the trains by myself.” 

“Sneaky,” Saeki grinned and Hari smirked at him. He looked back at An and smiled politely, though. “Nice to meet you, Tachibana-san.” 

“You too,” An smiled. “Hari-chan has told me about you.” 

Hari frowned as she looked at An and fought the blush that she knew wanted to come. She didn’t need to make it sound like…like she talked about him. Saeki just smiled and nodded, though. 

“So, why are you here, Hari-chan?” Saeki asked turning back to her. 

“I was hoping we could play?” Hari asked. “I could use some help on my motion vision, I think I’ve hit a wall.” 

Saeki looked at her for a moment before he nodded. 

“Sure,” he said. “I have some time.” 

“Great!” Hari cheered making Saeki smile amusedly at her. 

 

Hari and Saeki practised for a couple of hours while An was shown around the neighbourhood by the others on the team when it was clear that the two was lost in their practice and would be for a while. An didn’t mind giving Hari some time alone with Saeki because she knew that her friend needed to figure out her own feelings for the boy. 

An smiled slightly as she thought about it. Saeki was really handsome with his silver-white hair and pointed chin, but there was also something about the way he acted that was very…attractive. He was kind and gentle in a way that just screamed of someone comfortable in his own skin and that was rare in boys these days. 

She wondered if Hari really liked him or if it had only been a crush that faded away quickly when separated for a while. It was not unlikely but An found herself hoping that Hari and Saeki would end up finding out that they liked each other. 

Now, An was back at the school and found Hari smiling at something Saeki was telling her both seated on a bench with a bottle of water in their hands. A towel was thrown around Hari’s shoulders as well and her hair looked a little wet like she had poured water over her head. 

“Hey, An-chan!” Hari smiled when she noticed her. “Did you have a good time? I’m sorry… I got lost in practice…” 

“That was why we came here, Hari-chan,” An smiled amusedly eyes flickering over to Saeki who smiled politely back at her. “Did you get the help you needed?” 

Hari nodded and grinned. 

“Jiro-kun is a very good teacher,” Hari said. 

“You have gotten very good at it, Hari-chan,” Saeki said and looked at her. “Have you perhaps gotten help from your team?” 

Hari tilted her head as she looked at Saeki. 

“Well, I’ve watched Kikumaru-kun a bit,” Hari admitted. “He also has motion vision.” 

Saeki nodded like he already knew this. 

“If he has it then why don’t you have him help you?” Shudo asked curiously. 

Hari blinked. 

“Well, because he was the one who said I had a talent in it,” Hari said like it was obvious and pointed at Saeki. 

Saeki chuckled and smiled fondly at her. 

“Mochiron,” Saeki said. 

“See, Jiro-kun understands!” Hari said proudly. 

 

An frowned slightly as she watched Hari on the train back to Tokyo. She was staring at her hand with a faraway look in her eyes. An followed her eyes and looked at the slender and pale hand that was stretched out in front of Hari but she could see nothing that could explain the look on Hari’s face. 

Hari sighed as she used the other hand to trace over her knuckles and a small frown settled on her brow before a faint blush coloured her cheeks. An’s eyebrows raised up in surprise as she took in the sudden blush. What had caused it? 

“Hari-chan?” An asked. 

Hari startled like she had forgotten that An was there. 

“Oh. An-chan,” Hari smiled a little sheepishly. “Gomen. Did you say something?” 

“Is something wrong?” An asked worriedly. 

Hari blinked before she smiled. 

“No, of course not,” Hari denied. “Why?” 

An wanted to sigh but she withheld it. 

“You seemed lost in thought,” An explained. 

“I guess I was,” Hari admitted but didn’t deliberate on what she had been thinking about. An hesitated for a moment before deciding not to push her on it. 

“So, how was it to see Saeki-san again?” An asked instead. 

“It was fun,” Hari smiled and leaned back in the seat. “I always enjoy playing with him. He’s a good challenge and doesn’t get sore about it if I win.” 

An nodded. 

“He seems very nice,” An said. “Though, that captain of his is rather loud.” 

Hari laughed and nodded in agreement. 

 

Hari settled on her bed that night and stared up at the ceiling of her room. Her mind was back to the day spent with Saeki and An, but mostly Saeki. She had liked him, or so she had thought. But maybe…maybe she hadn’t? Was it possible that she just thought she liked him because An suggested it? 

She frowned. 

This was so confusing. Did she or didn’t she like Saeki? She had enjoyed the time she had spent with him, he was easy and fun to be around. He was a good and patient teacher and he made her laugh.

Yet… 

Yet, the butterflies in her stomach were not present when she talked with him. She hadn’t felt the blush in her cheeks as he brushed against her. She hadn’t felt her heart throb extra hard when he squeezed her hand when they said goodbye. 

She looked at her hand and scowled at it. 

Why hadn’t she felt like that? 

Seiichi leaning over her hand and _kissing_ it flashed in her mind and she felt her cheeks burn making her groan. When Saeki had held her hand in his stronger one earlier Hari’s mind had immediately jumped to the thought of Seiichi and him _kissing_ her hand and the lack of warmth she felt from Saeki’s touch compared to Seiichi’s. 

“Argh,” she groaned and thumped her head against her pillow in frustration. 

Why was this so difficult? It shouldn’t be because it was her feelings after all. It should be simple for her to figure it out! But no… all she felt was confusion and wondering why she wondered about it at all. 

This was all An’s fault, Hari decided. It was absolutely and totally An’s fault! 

 

Hari waved goodbye to Sora and Hira outside of the school having studied with them for a bit after the end of class. She enjoyed spending time with the two twins but had hoped that they had liked pranking a little more, but then again… it wasn’t really fair of her to hope that just because she missed the Weasley twins. 

Shaking her head at her own thoughts she made her way toward her home but soon noticed a figure that was rapidly becoming familiar to her slouching not too far ahead of her. A scowl was etched onto his face by the looks of it and she suddenly regretted staying behind to study and not joining Ryoma and Momoshiro when they asked her to come and play tennis on the street courts. 

She really didn’t want to run into the teen right now. Not when he was convinced that she had been the one to prank him (he was correct but that was beside the point) and had decided to get his revenge. 

Apparently by stalking her. It was so annoying. 

She turned to the right and glanced back and noticed to her dismay that he had noticed her and was walking behind her. She gritted her teeth in annoyance as she sped up but knew that without actually turning to a run he would catch up with her. 

What should she do? She could make a run for it but he was likely to catch up because he had such (ridiculous) long legs and that gave him an unfair advantage. 

She rounded a corner and before she could make up her mind she found herself yanked into an alley by a warm hand and another warm hand pressed over her mouth to stop any sound coming out. 

Her heartbeat sped up and fear spread through her as her mind froze and she was just about to summon up her magic when…

“Quiet,” a familiar voice whispered in her ear and she felt herself relax almost against her will and suddenly conscious about the warmth of the body so close to her own, so close that she could feel him pressed against her back. 

She saw Akutsu stalk past the alley where she was hidden with a scowl on his face and hurried steps. He clearly thought she had made a run for it. 

She stood completely still for a moment longer and barely dared to breathe because he was so close and she could feel his breath against her neck. 

Suddenly, just as suddenly as she had been grabbed, she was free and the warmth from behind her was gone. She turned and looked up at Seiichi who was smiling softly at her. 

“Hey,” he said. 

She blinked at how casual he sounded and she swallowed trying to find her voice again. 

“Hey,” she managed. 

“So, why did he follow you?” Seiichi asked a small frown on his face as he glanced toward the street. 

Hari exhaled and shook herself out of whatever it was that made her unable to think. 

“He’s upset because he thinks I pranked him,” Hari huffed and turned to walk out of the alley. 

Seiichi followed her and easily fell into step next to her. What was he doing here? Had he come to see her? She felt suddenly nervous. 

“Did you?” he asked. 

“Did I what?” Hari glanced at him already lost in thought. 

“Did you prank him?” Seiichi arched a brow at her. 

He must think she was stupid. 

“Saa,” Hari smiled innocently and Seiichi laughed. 

“I see,” he said. 

Hari glanced at him and noticed how open his face looked when he smiled. She looked away. 

“What were you doing here?” Hari asked to turn her mind away from thinking about things she shouldn’t be thinking about now. “Just happened to be standing in an alley ready to save a girl from a stalking boy?” 

She heard him snort and smiled slightly. 

“No,” he denied. “I was on my way to find you. I hoped to find you as you left your school and just happened to see you hurrying away and Akutsu behind you.” 

He had come to find her? She ignored the way her heart thumped harder. She must still be affected from trying to escape Akutsu. 

“Why did you want to find me?” she asked and was pleased that her voice was steady. 

“I wanted to see you and maybe ask if you wanted to spend the day with me,” Seiichi said and was she wrong to think that there was a nervous note underneath the seemingly casual voice of his? 

“Sure, why not?” Hari smiled as she glanced at him. “But we need to find something to eat first because I’m starving.” 

Seiichi nodded. 

“Sounds good to me,” he agreed. 

 

They found a small restaurant that served western food and it looked to be a small forgotten place really that was run by an older married couple. The woman was the waiter and she chatted about how she and her husband had opened this place when they first married 39 years ago. 

Both Hari and Seiichi nodded politely and listened to the woman talk even as they exchanged glances and had to look away to hide their amused smiles. 

Finally the woman went to give their orders (she had more or less told them what to order and in fear of being impolite they had allowed her to do so) and leaving Hari alone with Seiichi. 

“How are you?” Hari asked after a brief almost awkward silence. 

“I’m doing better,” Seiichi smiled. “I’m here for my rehabilitation check-up and also some check-up with my doctor.” 

“Yes, your cousin told me you were coming to Tokyo,” Hari nodded. “He didn’t say why, though, but I guessed it was something like that.” 

“Oh? Right,” Seiichi said and frowned slightly before his face cleared again. “Minoru said he had seen you with a boy, I don’t remember the name he told me.” 

Hari nodded. 

“Yes, Ryoga-san and I were on our way back from having gone to see Keigo,” Hari said.

Seiichi frowned once more but there came no more explanation on who Ryoga-san was and he did not want to sound like he was _trying_ to figure it out. 

“Keigo? Ah, Atobe?” Seiichi asked instead. “You did say something about him when we talked.” 

Hari nodded and got a look that was a cross between exasperation and fond on her face and he noticed how her eyes sparkled with a gleam that he couldn’t explain. 

“Yeah, my mum was his godmother,” Hari explained, “I never knew that until recently, though. He has had some…troubles with understanding that I’m an Echizen now and not just a Potter.” 

Seiichi nodded and remembered that she had mentioned this in one of their talks on the phone. They talked some more before the woman came back with their food and drinks. 

“Arigato,” Hari smiled at the woman who smiled back. 

 

“It was good food,” Hari smiled pleased when they were outside again and had managed to get lose from the talkative woman inside as they paid their bill. “But she sure could talk…” 

Seiichi smiled and nodded but didn’t say anything. 

They started to walk down the street and toward the river. Hari looked up at the sky and let a smile cross her lips as she took in the still blue sky and the occasional white cloud. 

“Watch out,” Seiichi suddenly said and his hand was on her arm and steadied her just as she stumbled slightly. 

“Ah, thank you,” Hari smiled at him and he rolled his eye. 

“You’re impossible,” he said. 

“Oi,” she mock glared at him. “I’m not.” 

A calm smile was the only reaction she was met with and she huffed but felt her lips twitch amused as she looked away from him. 

“Have you worked out more of your new move?” Seiichi asked after a moment of silence. 

“Trying to fish for new information on the competition, Sei-chan?” Hari arched a brow at him. 

“Ma…” Seiichi drawled. 

Hari laughed lightly as she started to descend the stairs leading down to the river missing the fond and searching look from her companion and the light blush in his cheeks. 

“It’s going well,” Hari said glancing at him before she sat down at the small wall that was separating the path and the river letting her feet dangle over the water and she wished she could reach it but it was too far down. “I love watching the water. I used to do it at my school in Scotland. There was a large lake on the grounds that had this large and really beautiful tree next to it, I loved sitting underneath the tree to do my homework or just stare at the water.” 

Hari could feel Seiichi looking at her but she had no idea what he was thinking as he observed her with those calm violet-blue eyes of his. She resisted the need to look back at him to see just what kind of look he had in his eyes. 

Seiichi was watching the way her face seemed to come alive as she talked excitedly about a place that meant a lot to her as she waved a hand to help explain what she meant. 

“Sounds like a good spot,” Seiichi said when she fell silent. “Do you miss it?” 

A shadow fell on her face and the smile slipped away as she looked at the river. Even from where he was sitting he could see that the green eyes of hers had darkened with unknown (to him) emotions. 

“That’s complicated,” Hari eventually said. 

Seiichi watched her closely wishing he could take away that dark pained look that was on her face because she wasn’t meant to have that kind of look. She was meant to be laughing and smiling. Though, he wasn’t sure how to break her out of it. 

“I guess,” she continued unaware of his thoughts, “I miss the few friends I made there, and while the school was beautiful and the grounds really breathtaking, I don’t miss it.” 

“I see,” Seiichi said even if he didn’t. Not really. He had a feeling that she was holding something big back, but he didn’t blame her. He hadn’t a right to her secrets. Even if he wished she would trust him with it. 

Hari glanced at him and suddenly smiled and her face lit up again and the darkness that had been there vanished like it never had been there at all. 

“You really are easy to talk to,” she said and he had a feeling that there was another layer to the statement but he couldn’t really say what it was. 

She glanced at the clock and grimaced. 

“Ouch,” she said.

“Something wrong?” Seiichi asked. 

“Only the fact that Nanjiro will be wondering where I am,” Hari sighed but she made no sign of getting up as she leaned back and stared up at the sky that was now darkening and the sun was almost gone. 

“Ah, curfew?” Seiichi asked. 

“Nah, not exactly,” Hari shrugged, “but he gets a little…restless if I’m not home and Ryoma is. He will think I’m out with a boy.” 

Seiichi arched a brow amused. 

“Well, you are,” he said. 

Hari nodded. 

“Yeah, but he’s rather…overprotective type,” Hari grimaced. “I rather not deal with it.” 

“I feel like I should apologize,” Seiichi said. 

“You really should,” Hari nodded seriously before she laughed and he smiled slightly. 

 

They walked toward her house together and Hari listened to him talk about his team and how they trained and how the training had been interrupted by Marui Bunta when someone had accidentally hit his cake with a tennis ball.

“Sounds like fun,” Hari observed amusedly when he finished telling her the story. 

“It was a mess,” he said with a long-suffering sigh. “I have no idea how my team ended up like that.” 

Hari glanced at him with a wry look. 

“You don’t want them any other way,” she said, “just admit it.” 

He frowned at her but she just gave a cheeky grin back. 

Hari paused when they reached the gates leading up to her house and she noticed that he glanced at the gate and the nameplate with the name ‘Echizen’ written on it before his violet-blue eyes found her again. 

“Thank you for walking me home,” Hari said suddenly a little shy. 

“No problem,” he smiled softly. “Thank you for spending the rest of your day with me.” 

So formal he was, Hari thought amused but also a little pleased. 

“It was fun,” she smiled. 

He nodded in agreement. “It was.” 

“I…” Hari started to say but then the front door opened and she felt her eyes widen slightly. 

“Hari-chan? Is that you?” Nanjiro’s voice called out. 

“Yes! I’m here!” Hari called back. 

“Where have you been?” He called. 

“Just out, I’m coming!” Hari called back and turned to look at Seiichi and whispered, “go…” 

She didn’t want Nanjiro to catch them together because he would go into interrogator mode and that was not something she wanted to put Seiichi through. Seiichi smiled and gave her a look before he grabbed her hand and kissed it as he had done before. But…did his lips, so soft and warm, lingering longer on the back of her hand than before? 

“See you,” he whispered and reached out to push a strand of hair out of her face with the hand that was not still holding hers before he let go and backed away. 

With one last look she turned and slipped in through the gates and toward the house where Nanjiro was waiting in the doorway with a suspicious look in his hazel eyes. 

 

“How was it in Tokyo?” Sanada asked when he sat down next to Seiichi on the bench overlooking the practice. 

Seiichi glanced at his best friend who was not looking at him and was trying very hard to not show how anxious he was to know how his doctor appointment had gone. He allowed a small amused smile to cross his lips. 

“It was fine,” Seiichi said calmly. “It’s stable.”

“So you still can’t train properly?” Sanada asked. 

“Not yet,” Seiichi said. 

Sanada nodded and didn’t say anything else but he didn’t get up to join the others either. Seiichi remembered Hari telling him that he would not want his team any other way and as he took in the seriousness and hard work they put into their practice he had to agree with her. 

“So,” Sanada started a little awkwardly and shifted on the bench, “did you see her?” 

Seiichi glanced at him and noticed that Sanada was watching him from the corner of his eyes. 

“Hari-chan, you mean?” Seiichi asked despite knowing the answer. 

“Hai,” Sanada said. 

“Yeah, I saw her yesterday,” Seiichi said and seemed unaware of the smile on his face but Sanada saw it. 

“Oh,” Sanada said. 

Seiichi glanced at his best friend and wondered if he should put him out of his misery or not because it was clear that he wanted to ask more but his stoic nature didn’t really allow him to. 

“I went to see her when she was finished with school,” Seiichi decided to take mercy on his friend. “I saved her from Akutsu.” 

“Akutsu?” Sanada frowned as he turned to look at Seiichi. “Akutsu Jin?” 

Seiichi nodded and frowned slightly, “yeah. He was following her and she was trying to get away from him.” He didn’t like that. 

“Why was he following her?” Sanada asked with a frown. 

“She said it was because he thought she had pranked him,” Seiichi said. 

“And did she?” 

“She wouldn’t admit it, but I would say yes,” Seiichi nodded. 

Sanada shook his head. “Crazy.” 

Seiichi nodded in agreement but the fond smile on his lips told another story. Seiichi rested his head in his hand as he looked over the tennis court. His mind was still on the day before and how easy it had been to talk to Hari, it always was. 

But there had been something different yesterday as well. There had been something more beneath everything they had done and said, he could feel it. He smiled slightly as he thought that maybe she was ready for him to actually ask her out… 

He remembered the blush in her cheeks when they said goodbye and how her eyes widened when he kissed her hand, she did that every time he kissed her hand and it never got old, and how soft her hair felt in his fingers and how he wanted to pull his hand through her hair… 

He shook his head to clear it and suddenly aware that Sanada was watching him with a pensive look on his face and that the others had joined them. 

“Are you thinking about cake?” Marui asked. 

“Stupid!” Yanagi Renji scolded and swatted Marui over the head. 

“Ouch!” Marui groaned and rubbed his head. “Why did you do that?” 

“Don’t disrespect the Captain!” Yanagi said. 

“Yeah, yeah,” Marui pouted. 

Sanada sighed next to Seiichi who just had a mildly amused look on his face. 

“Puri!” Nio Masaharu said as he looked at Seiichi with a curious look. 

“Mou ii,” Seiichi said calmly and stood up. “I want you to…” 

He continued to give them instructions for the practice and set up practice matches for them after they finished their training menus. Just as he was finishing giving his instruction did his phone start ringing and he waved them off as he pulled it out of his bag. 

“Hello,” he said as he arched a brow when his team still stared at him. “I’m back at school, yeah.” 

“Come on!” Sanada barked out as he pushed Marui who was closest to him. “Get going.” 

“Who is he talking to?” Marui asked eying his captain with a speculative look. 

“…” Sanada just stared at him. 

“You know,” Marui accused. 

“The data is on the side of Sanada knowing,” Yanagi quiet voice added. 

“Puri!” Nio nodded. 

Sanada glared at them and they turned back to what they were supposed to be doing while Sanada cast a glance over at Seiichi who was talking on the phone. During practice. Something he never did. He shook his head as he focused on his own training menu. 

 

“Did you get in trouble for being out late?” Seiichi asked as he sat down. 

_“Nah, but Nanjiro is certain that I’m hiding something from him,”_ Hari laughed and Seiichi smiled amusedly. 

“Well, aren’t you?” Seiichi asked. 

_“He’ll live,”_ Hari said unconcernedly. 

“Why don’t you just tell him?” Seiichi asked and not because he was hurt or anything because she hadn’t told her adoptive father about him or anything like that, he was just curious as to why. 

_“He tried to get me to start homeschooling when I joined the boys’ team in tennis and realised that there would be boys’ on the team,”_ Hari deadpanned. 

“Ah,” Seiichi said amusedly. 

_“You’re laughing,”_ Hari said and he could hear the pout through the phone. 

“I wouldn’t dare,” Seiichi denied. 

_“Hmph,”_ Hari huffed. _“Whatever. What are you doing now? You said you were at school?”_

“Practice,” Seiichi said.

_“Oh? I disturbed you, then,”_ Hari said apologetically. 

“No, it’s fine,” Seiichi said even knowing that he should be paying attention to the training his team was doing but he wanted to talk to Hari. Besides, the team would be fine without him for a little bit. It wasn’t like he could join them in the practice anyway. “They know what to do and I can observe them even as I talk with you. Have you been at practice already?” 

_“It’s raining,”_ Hari said with a sigh, _“so Ryuzaki-sensei told us to stop. She even interrupted Ryo-chan’s practice match against Shu-chan. It would have been fun to see who won.”_

Shu-chan? Seiichi frowned slightly before he realised that it must be Fuji she was talking about. He felt a twisting sensation in his stomach as he realised that she had a nickname for her teammate as well. 

_“Sei-chan?”_ Hari’s voice sounded. _“You there?”_

“Yeah,” Seiichi said. “Sorry. Just got lost in my thoughts.” 

They talked a few minutes more before she said she had to go and they ended the call leaving Seiichi smiling and a plan forming in his head. It was time for him to act and do something because he had made up his mind. Echizen Hari was going to be his. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? XD It's not my best one, I know. This one took forever to get ready and I struggled with the pacing of the chapter. Well, anyway, the chapter is up and I hope you liked it! :) 
> 
> Thank you for reading and supporting this story! I know it's been a little bit since I updated but I've been really exhausted lately and not really had the extra energy to write much. I'm getting better now so hopefully, I will be able to write more. XD 
> 
> Japanese words used:  
> Ma - Well  
> Shirimasen - I don't know  
> Saa - filler  
> Hai - yes  
> Mochiron - of course  
> Gomen - Sorry  
> Arigato - Thank you  
> Mou ii - enough


	26. Seigaku vs Yamabuki

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Hari glanced at her phone and smiled as she read the latest text from Seiichi. He was coming to Tokyo again soon and he asked if she would meet him. She felt a burst of excitement go through her despite wondering why he was coming back so soon. He had after all just been here… was something wrong with his legs? Did he need to see the doctors that often? 

She frowned worriedly and her hand tightened around the phone as she absentmindedly sidestepped a kid running straight in front of her yelling something about ‘Akutsu-sempai!’ 

“Itee!” she yelped as she collided with something firm and stumbled back a little. Her hand went up to her head and rubbed it as she looked up to see who she had collided with this time. “I seriously have to stop colliding with people…” she muttered to herself as she saw that this time she had collided with an old man who was smiling down at her with his head tilted slightly to the side. 

“Oh,” he said airily, “looks like I collided with a young lady. Are you okay, miss?” 

“I’m fine,” Hari grumbled before she smiled apologetically, “I’m sorry, sir! I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going… Did I hurt you?” 

He just looked at her for a moment before he suddenly laughed. 

“Oh, no,” he said. “I’m perfectly fine…” 

“Good,” she said before she bowed politely, “I’m sorry again.” 

She could feel him watching her as she walked away with fast steps and wondered where to find her team. She had been a little late for their arrival for the _xxth National Jr. High Tennis Championship – Tokyo District Location – semi-finals._

Of course, they had moved around and she had not been able to find it until now. She had lost sight of Ryoma when she had gotten the text from Seiichi and gotten distracted so that might have something to do with it. 

“Hari-chan!” Horio and Kachiro both yelled making her blink as she turned to see the first year trio coming running toward her. 

“Ah, it’s you guys,” she said. “Do you know where Ryo-chan is? He got lost.” 

“IT’S YOU WHO GOT LOST!” Horio yelled. 

Hari pouted. 

“I did not,” she denied, mostly just to annoy them. “I knew where I was the whole time.”

“YOU DID NOT!” Horio looked angry. 

“Ma, ma,” Kachiro interrupted nervously, “let’s calm down, eh?” 

“Yeah,” Mizuno nodded. “Come on, let’s go find the others.” 

 

Nanjiro flipped a page of his magazine and giggled as he saw the new image of Mai-chan but he soon frowned as his real trouble pressed on his mind. 

He was sure that Hari was hiding something from him. She had been out two days ago and had been home later than Ryoma and wouldn’t say who she had met. Just claimed that she had been ‘out’. 

No. There was something fishy going on there. She hadn’t just been ‘out’. She had met someone and he was very _curious_ about who this someone was. His eyebrow twitched as he pictured her meeting a boy and the boy holding her hand… _kissing_ her… his hands clenched and he heard the sound of paper being crushed. 

“Oh! NO! My magazine!” He yelped and frantically tried to straighten the pages.

This was that unknown boy's fault! Nanjiro swore in his mind. He was the one who made Hari act all secretive and…a dark cloud manifested over his head as he pushed the magazine away knowing it was a lost cause… he would have to buy a new one. 

“Oji-san,” Nanako interrupted him and she sounded slightly exasperated as she looked at him. “Ryuzaki-sensei is on the phone for you.” 

“I’m busy,” he whined. 

“Doing what?” his niece asked. 

“Figuring out Hari-chan!” Nanjiro declared making Nanako sigh. 

“Well, I can’t tell the coach that,” she said, “so come and answer the phone.” 

He sighed and got up from the floor and made his way to the phone. 

“Yes?” he pouted into the phone. 

“You were watching one of those perverted magazines, weren’t you?” Ryuzaki asked in a way of greeting.

“Ie! I was not!” Nanjiro denied with a scowl. 

“Ah,” she said and sounded amused, “they I guess you were fretting over Hari-chan, right?” 

“I don’t like the boys around her,” Nanjiro whined. “Do you know which one she met?” 

“She met a boy?” Ryuzaki asked. “Well, she meets them all at practice and I think she meets some for extra practice at times…” 

“Ie!” Nanjiro despaired. “Can’t you kick them out?” 

“…” 

“Well?” 

“You do realise that this is originally the _boys’_ team in tennis, right?” Ryuzaki’s voice was dripping in sarcasm. 

“You’re no help,” Nanjiro muttered. 

“…” Ryuzaki sighed. “Anyway, I called about today’s match.” 

“Oh?” Nanjiro said uninterestingly. “What about it?” 

“It’s two reasons, really,” she said with a teasing tilt to her voice and he frowned knowing that tone very well. 

“Nani?” he asked despite himself. 

“Well, one is because of who we’re playing today,” Ryuzaki said. 

“Like that would surprise me,” Nanjiro said confidently. 

“Is that so?” Ryuzaki asked amusedly. “Well, we’re playing Banji’s team today.” 

Nanjiro blinked and sat up straighter. 

“What? Banji? What’s that old fool still doing alive?!” Nanjiro exclaimed. 

“Oh? So, you are surprised?” Ryuzaki asked.

Nanjiro scowled and got to his feet. 

“What’s the other reason you called?” he asked. 

“Well…” Ryuzaki said. 

Under five minutes later Nanjiro was off on his bike leaving an exasperated Nanako behind shaking her head and wishing Hari luck because she was sure he was leaving to spy on her. 

 

Hari frowned when she heard the chatter going around about Fudomine and Tachibana. They were saying that he had forced his team to play even when injured and it was ridiculous! Tachibana would never; never do a thing like that. 

People were stupid. 

She ignored the weary looks she got from the first year trio as she glared at a group of students gossiping with relish as she passed by. She fisted her hands as she stopped herself from going over there and _told_ them exactly what she thought. 

Suddenly a familiar and unpleasant voice reached her from behind some trees. 

“Your reputation just got trashed, Captain-san.” 

Hari narrowed her eyes and turned to follow it. 

“Hari-chan…” Kachiro whined but she ignored him. 

She soon saw Fudomine all together and in front of them was Akutsu who was standing up as he faced them. She also saw An there next to her brother. 

“If it’s too dangerous then you shouldn’t have played in the first place,” Akutsu said. “Baka.” 

“You bastard!” Kamio growled. “What the hell did you just say?!” 

“Stop it, Kamio!” Tachibana put a hand on his shoulder to calm him down. 

“Oh? You want to go at it?” Akutsu smirked and cracked his fingers menacingly. “Was losing at tennis not enough for you?” 

“Was the prank not a lesson enough for you?” Hari interrupted whatever response he would have received for his mocking. 

Akutsu spun around and narrowed his eyes as he stared at her. 

“You!” He snapped. 

“Me,” she arched a brow. “I’m surprised. You haven’t found me yet. I thought you had made it your personal mission to stalk me wherever I went?” 

“Hari-chan,” An said. 

“Hey, An-chan!” Hari waved at her before her eyes turned back to Akutsu who was glaring at her. 

“I knew you were behind the prank!” he growled. 

Hari knew it was no more use in denying that she was behind it. She also knew that she shouldn’t have said anything but the words were out of her mouth before she even knew it herself. 

“You don’t seem to have learned anything, though,” Hari said, “maybe I need to…take it up a notch.” 

“You…!” Akutsu took a step closer to her and she arched a brow at him. 

“Stay away from Hari-chan!” Kachiro yelled and ran around her to place himself between Hari and Akutsu even if he was shaking in fear. 

Hari glanced down at him in surprise. 

“Oh, you want to go up against me again?” Akutsu sneered. “It didn’t go so well last time, did it, chibi?” 

“Oi! Stay away from Hari-chan and Kachiro!” Horio and Mizuno yelled joining their friend. 

Hari blinked again when the two joined Kachiro in front of her. 

Akutsu glared at her but he didn’t say anything.

“Calm down,” Tachibana’s calm voice interrupted and he shot Hari a curious look. “Hello, Echizen-san.” 

“Hey, Tachi-kun!” Hari waved. 

“Tachi-kun?” Kamio and the others mouthed while Tachibana just arched a brow at her while An giggled behind her hand. 

“Oh, so you come to save the losers from me?” Akutsu interrupted with a smirk. 

“Tachi-kun doesn’t need me or anyone else to save him,” Hari shrugged casting a cold look at Akutsu. “He’s more than capable to defend himself.” 

Tachibana smiled slightly as he looked at her. 

“Come on,” he said. “Let’s go.” 

 

“Whatever,” Akutsu grumbled as he turned to walk away but he shot Hari a glare as he fisted his hands. She had humiliated him and now she had practically admitted it! 

He met her eyes and saw the cold green eyes glance over him before she looked away like he wasn’t important and somehow that pissed him off even more. She shouldn’t be able to just look away from him like that! Those eyes had been laughing at him earlier but now they were cold and indifferent. He was not used to being dismissed like that and she would learn that he wasn’t someone she could so easily dismiss. 

“Oi! Akutus-sempai!” Dan called and he growled at the younger boy but he just looked back at him with those wide awe-filled eyes. “You have to come back!” 

“Shut up!” he snapped at the boy and kicked a rock making it fly violently ahead.

 

“You shouldn’t provoke him like that, Hari-chan,” Kachiro said nervously. 

“Eh?” Hari blinked down at him. “Oh, don’t worry about it.” 

She started to walk again just as her phone buzzed and she pulled it out and saw a new text from Seiichi. She felt a fluttering feeling in her stomach as she opened the text and smiled. 

_Good luck today. Let me know how your match goes and tell me if Akutsu gives you any more trouble. Seiichi._

He worried too much, she thought but the pleasure it gave her was undeniable but she ignored what it would mean. She smiled softly as she answered the text unaware of them having found the team and the suspicious looks she got from Ryoma when he took in the look on her face. 

“Hari-chan!” Kikumaru exclaimed and jumped over to them and threw an arm around her shoulder. “You’re finally here! We thought you had gotten lost again!” 

“We found her for you, sempai,” Horio said importantly. 

“Good job,” Momoshiro laughed as Hari pouted and shot him a glare. 

“Yeah, yeah,” she muttered, “give them a medal or something.” 

 

“Hey, Yoshida-san,” Hari smiled at the manager. “Do you have the data for Ginka ready?” 

“Hey, Hari-chan,” Yoshida smiled back. “Yes, I have it here.” 

They chatted lightly as they made their way to the courts and noticed the green-clad team of Ginka already there looking fired up and confident, in a way that was very familiar to Hari. She snorted lightly. It was just the way they had looked the day she and Ryoma had played them…and they all knew how that turned out. 

“EH?!” 

Hari glanced to where the sound was coming from and saw the Ginka players stare at Ryoma with wide eyes and seemed to pale in sync – was that even possible? Huh. She hadn’t known that. 

“What…” one of them stuttered. 

She shook her head as she continued to walk past them. 

“No!” she heard someone yell. “I refuse!” 

Hari glanced and saw them staring at her now and she smiled and waved at them making them stumble back. So, okay maybe she was being a bit mean. But it was so much fun and she still felt rather annoyed at them and the way they had tried to bully Sakuno. 

“What’s their problem?” Kikumaru wondered as he looked over at them curiously. 

“Who knows,” Oishi said but he did look a little worried. “I hope they’re alright.” 

“You’re such a worrywart, Oishi,” Kikumaru teased.

Hari chuckled as she turned her attention back to Yoshida and listened to her analyse of Ginka and Hari felt like grimacing. Just why did Yoshida and Inui (she had heard him talk about it earlier) think that Ginka was so great? 

“Don’t worry, Yoshida-san,” Hari said. “We can take them.” 

“You don’t understand,” Yoshida said, “the amount of training they do is making ours look like nothing! They were completely knocked out on the courts after one of their practices! Inui-san and I went to observe them one day and they all looked to be knocked out…” 

Hari arched a brow. 

“Oh,” she said as she realised what day it was and she suddenly felt slightly guilty. “Um, would that be why Inui has pushed us so hard during the practices lately?” 

“Of course,” Yoshida nodded. 

“Oh,” Hari said again. 

 

Hari stood next to Yoshida and Inui with the first years around them and she noticed Sakuno glance at her and then back at the opposing team. She had no doubt recognised them as well. 

“Go Ryoma-sama!” Tomoka cheered. 

“Good luck, Ryoma-kun!” Sakuno said with a blush.

The two teams were lined up and Hari could see the determination on her friends' faces as they looked at the Ginka team. Even Ginka looked fired up, so maybe they hadn’t been that affected by recognizing Ryoma? Maybe….

“We forfeit! Our stomachs hurt!” 

Hari blinked in surprise as they talked as one and all grabbed their stomach in an obviously fake way. 

“Huh?” 

"Eh?" 

"Hah?"

She sighed as she watched them demonstratively walked off the court much to the rest of her team's confusion. Tomoka was cheering but Hari ignored her. 

“I wonder what’s up with them,” Kawamura said as he picked up his bag again. 

“They said they were sick,” Oishi said with a worried frown, “I wonder if a virus is going around…” 

“Oishi, you’re too easily deceived,” Kikumaru said, “they were faking it! But I don’t know why…” 

“I wonder,” Ryuzaki said shaking her head in shock. “I never have experienced an entire team just forfeit like that before.” 

“Ano,” Sakuno said and blushed when everyone turned to look at her. 

“Did you want to say something, Sakuno?” Ryuzaki asked her granddaughter. 

Sakuno looked at Hari and Ryoma who had ended up standing next to each other and both blinked when they saw her looking at them. 

“Nani?” Ryoma asked. 

“We have met them before…” Sakuno said quietly. 

“Hmph,” Ryoma snorted. “They’re not worth remembering.” 

He scowled. 

“Echizen,” Ryuzaki frowned at him. 

“What? They almost hurt Hari!” Ryoma scowled at her. “I’m not sorry!” 

Hari sighed as again she was faced with protective stares and scowls. 

“I was fine and they didn’t hurt me at all,” Hari rolled her eyes. “Ryo-chan was just overreacting.” 

“I was not,” Ryoma said, “but we took care of them. We played and we won.” 

“I think that was the day you and Inui-sempai went to see them, Yoshida-san,” Hari said glancing at the manager, “so, um, sorry for making you believe that they were better than they were?” 

 

“You know Oyaji is rather suspicious of you,” Ryoma said and glanced at Hari who was sitting next to him underneath the tree. 

“Hm?” Hari blinked and glanced at him. “He is?” 

“Yeah,” Ryoma nodded, “he even asked me if you got a boyfriend.” 

Hari rolled her eyes and leaned back against the tree and stared up at the blue sky and the white clouds. 

“I see,” was all she said. 

Ryoma frowned as he looked at her. She didn’t reveal anything with that reaction, there was nothing that said that she did have a boyfriend but at the same time she didn’t deny it either. So, did she have a boyfriend? 

He took a sip of his Ponta as he considered his sister. She had a faraway look on her face and it was a look she had worn often as of late and he wondered… just what was she thinking about? 

A noise to the side drew his attention and he saw a boy with dark blue hair and white t-shirt stumble around in a blind because of the green bandana that had fallen down over his eyes and instead of stopping like most would do the kid was still stumbling around yelling that he couldn’t see. Before Ryoma could do anything the kid had stumbled over his outstretched leg and fallen to the ground with a crash. 

Ryoma heard the snort next to him and knew that Hari had been drawn from her thoughts and was now looking at the boy. 

“I can’t see! It’s all dark in front of me, what happened?” the boy was saying. 

“Ne,” Ryoma said. “Your bandana came down.” 

The boy stilled for a moment before he reached up and pushed the bandana up again. 

“Ah, you’re right,” he said as he turned around. “Arigatou!” 

Ryoma looked away from him and took a sip of his Ponta while Hari looked at the boy and noticed that he must be around Ryoma’s age even if she would have thought he was younger at first glance. There was something innocent about him. She noticed that he was staring at Ryoma’s jersey. 

“Are you okay?” Hari asked and he yelped and looked at her like he hadn’t noticed her there until now. 

“Um,” he blinked. “I’m fine! Thank you!” 

She smiled and nodded. 

“Are you students at Seigaku?” the boy asked looking between them. 

“Yes,” Ryoma said looking at him with a curious look in his eyes that also were confused. 

“That’s great!” the boy beamed at them. “I mean…You’re going to cheer for ‘that’ guy, too?” 

That guy? Hari arched a brow in curiosity. 

“The freshman regular named Echizenya?”

Ryoma chocked on his Ponta while Hari burst out laughing ignoring the look Ryoma shot her. 

“He’s also a freshman and he’s awesome!” the boy said enthusiastically. “I wanted to see him play with my own eyes!” 

Hari glanced at Ryoma who looked a little stunned and before any of them could say anything the boy launched into a descriptive rant about Ryoma and how amazing he was to be playing even if he was short. 

Hari smiled amused even as she also cooed (mentally of course) over how cute the boy was. The way his eyes lit up was just like an innocent little kid who had just gotten everything he wanted for Christmas! 

“…thank you, but I have to go and find Akutsu-sempai now,” the kid said and Hari almost grabbed him to hide him from the mean Yamabuki player. How could he say that so calmly? She shuddered. 

“Ryoma-kun! Hari-chan!” Shiba called. “You both should go to the courts, you know!” 

Hari nodded and got up while Ryoma did the same and put on his jacket. Hari noticed the stunned look on the boy’s face as he stared at Ryoma. Had he just realised who he was? Hari smiled. 

“So, height is all there is in tennis, huh?” Ryoma asked with a smirk. 

“Go on, Ryo-chan,” Hari said. “I’ll catch up.” 

He gave her a disbelieving look but she ignored him as she grabbed the boy’s arm and waved to the two journalists. 

 

“Eh? Where are we going?” the boy asked. 

“What’s your name?” Hari asked ignoring the boy’s question. 

“Dan,” he said confused. “Dan Taiichi.” 

“Nice to meet you, Dan-chan,” Hari smiled and he blinked at her. “I’m Echizen Hari.” 

“E-Echizen?” he repeated surprised. “Then…” 

“The boy was my little brother, Echizen Ryoma,” Hari nodded. “I just wanted to let you know who he was. Seems like you like him.” 

“He…is amazing,” Dan nodded and Hari held up a hand because while she always loved hearing others praise her little brother she didn’t need to hear the same things all over again. 

“Yes, he is,” she agreed. “But… why do you think that you can’t play tennis just because you’re short, Dan-chan?” 

“Well…” he frowned. 

“It’s not any of my business,” Hari shrugged as she pushed her hands into her pockets and looked at the younger boy in front of her. “I just don’t think you should limit yourself like that. Watch Ryo-chan’s match and then make up your mind, Dan-chan. Height isn’t everything.” 

Dan watched her leave stunned. 

 

Nanjiro scowled as he was hiding behind a tree watching Hari talking to a boy with light brown hair that reached his chin and eyes closed. But they looked close and Hari was laughing. Laughing! He scowled. 

He had been chased around by some policeman for too long and had only now found Hari and he was not pleased to see how close she seemed to the boys on the team. 

Now, there! Just look at the boy who came and ruffled her hair like and smiled down at her with such a creepy smile. She swatted his hand away but smiled up at him. Wait…hadn’t he seen him before? That was the kid who came almost every morning to pick her and Ryoma up before school, wasn’t it? 

Nanjiro watched as they looked over at the match going on, a doubles match by the look of it. From what he could tell they were having some trouble. 

“Hari-san,” a voice called and Nanjiro looked to see a stoic teen with glasses coming over to Hari and the others. 

Nanjiro could not hear what was being said but he saw the stunned look on Hari’s face and the flash of disappointment on the dark-haired kid’s face before he smiled at Hari and ruffled her hair (again!) when the stoic one walked away. 

Hari was left standing watching after him with a frown and Nanjiro scowled even harder because that boy dared leave Hari looking like that?! How dare he?! 

“Oh, Nanjiro-san,” Inoue said and Nanjiro jumped. 

“Shh!” Nanjiro said reaching out to make sure he was silent and didn’t give out his hiding spot. 

“Why are you hiding behind a tree?” Inoue asked curiously and looked around spotting Hari and Ryoma with their team watching the game going on. “Oh, are you here for Ryoma-kun?” 

“Ie,” Nanjiro scoffed. “I’m not here for Ryoma-kun.” 

“Hari-chan, then?” Inoue asked. 

“Hmph,” Nanjiro folded his arms over his chest. “I’m only here for curiosity sake.” 

Inoue sighed slightly as he looked at the other man who was once more watching Seigaku or more likely Hari from behind the tree. He was frowning and muttered something under his breath that Inoue didn’t catch. 

 

Hari couldn’t believe what Tezuka just had told her. It was too…unbelievable and, no she didn’t even have words to describe it. 

_“You’re going to play Singles 3, Hari-san,” Tezuka said. “Ryuzaki-sensei wants you to start to warm up soon and make sure you do it thoroughly. You’re playing Yamabuki’s Sengoku Kiyosumi.”_

That was all he had said before he had returned to his spot watching Oishi and Kikumaru play their doubles match. 

She was going to play? She was?! 

But she wasn’t even among the regulars! How could she even be allowed to play? And what about Momoshiro? She was sure he was the one who was supposed to be playing Singles 3. She didn’t want to take his spot and she was sure he was better prepared for it than her… 

“Momo-chan…” Hari glanced at him and found him smiling at her. 

“You’ll do great, Hari-chan!” he beamed. 

“I…” 

“Don’t worry about it,” he said and his smile softened like he knew what she was thinking. “It’s a part of the game and Ryuzaki-sensei must have a reason for wanting you to play. I’m not upset at you, okay?” 

He ruffled her hair and smiled making her smile back and nod. 

“But, still…” she said and frowned, “I’m not prepared to play him. I don’t really know much about him at all…” 

“Inui-sempai can help you with that, I’m sure,” Momoshiro said. “Go on, talk to him.” 

 

Hari had talked to Inui and was warming up now by doing some laps around the area accompanied by Fuji because he said she couldn’t be trusted to not get lost. She had glared at him for that one but of course, he just smiled back. 

Her mind focused on what was to come and go over the quick update she had received from Inui about Sengoku, the orange haired boy she had seen flirting with some girls earlier (and being shut down rather quickly as well). She could tell he was good even by just looking at him, and she felt a thrill of excitement go through her at the thought of going against him and testing her own skills. 

But…it was a match that really mattered and what if she let them down? 

She remembered losing against Hufflepuff in Quidditch earlier this year, she dismissed the fact that it was because of the Dementors, and the disappointed looks she got from everyone and the whispers that followed her. 

“Calm down,” Fuji said quietly and placed a hand on her arm. “You’ll do fine. Just focus on your own play and you have your new move as well.” 

She glanced at him and smiled slightly letting him calm her down. She knew that getting herself worked up was not going to do her any good and that way she was going to lose. 

And she was not going to lose! She was going to win! She could do it if she focused and pushed everything away. The nervousness she felt was not unfamiliar, she had felt it before her first Quidditch match and she had controlled it. 

 

Oishi and Kikumaru won their doubles and cheered loudly even as they both looked exhausted and worn, but the smiles on their faces were wide and their eyes shone with a happy light. 

“Hari-chan,” Ryuzaki called and she turned to look at the coach who had stood up and was holding out a t-shirt for her. She saw it was the team t-shirt and she swallowed as she accepted it. “Change into that and come back.” 

Hari nodded and quickly made her way to change. Under ten minutes later she was back and saw the others standing there waiting for her. She felt new confidence wearing the team t-shirt and felt eyes on her as she walked toward her team. 

“Looking good, Hari-chan,” a voice said and she looked to see Ryoga standing there. “You’ll knock him off the court.” 

“Ryoga-kun,” Hari blinked, “what are you doing here?” 

“I heard a rumour that you might be playing today,” he said with a smile. “So I came to watch.” 

Hari frowned but shrugged it off. 

“Arigatou,” she said and he held up his hand for a high-five. She arched a brow but hit his hand with hers and smiled. 

She walked the last few steps to her team and looked at Ryuzaki who nodded looking pleased with whatever it was she was looking for as she looked at her. 

“Okay, good,” she said. 

“Um, coach?” Hari asked. 

“Yes, Hari-chan?” she looked at her. 

“Why do you want me to play?” she asked. “I never heard anything about it…” 

“It was just an idea I had last night,” Ryuzaki answered. “But I didn’t make up my mind until now. Banji, the coach for Yamabuki, is a sly old man. I think that having you play against Sengoku is something they won’t expect, so that’s why.” 

Hari nodded in understanding. 

“And I really want to beat that old man,” Ryuzaki muttered making Hari smile amused. 

 

“Oh, what a pretty lady,” Sengoku beamed as he skipped over to her. 

Hari arched a brow unimpressed. 

“You will have tea with me later?” he asked slash ordered with a wide smile. “I just have to win this match first… I’m lucky, you know!” 

“Oi! Step away from Hari-chan!” Kikumaru said and threw an arm around Hari’s shoulders and glared at Sengoku. 

“Mm? She’s your girlfriend?” Sengoku asked depressed. “No! Please tell me it isn’t so!” 

Dramatic. 

“She’s not,” Kikumaru scowled at him and pulled at Hari who was still remaining silent. “But she’s my friend and I won’t let a flirt like you annoy her!” 

“Flirt?” he repeated in mock hurt but Hari saw the pensive look in his eyes as he looked at her. 

“Oi!” Akutsu interrupted and stalked over to them. “Are you playing?!” 

“Eh?” Sengoku blinked. 

“So what if I am?” Hari asked indifferently. 

“Then play me!” Akutsu said. 

“No,” Hari said, “I’m going to play Sengoku-san. That’s the coach’s order.” 

“Eh?” Sengoku said again this time a little louder as his wide eyes took in the team t-shirt that Hari was wearing. “You’re playing me?!” 

“Yes,” she smiled cheekily at him. “I am.” 

“I’m telling you that you have to play me!” Akutsu growled. “It’s time that I teach you how to show respect to your betters!” 

“Calm down,” Tezuka stepped in and turned his serious eyes at Akutsu. “You should step back and allow the players to prepare for their match, Akutsu-san.” 

There was nothing really menacing in the voice or words used but Akutsu stepped back and glared at Hari either way and stalked off to the fence and leaned against it while folding his arms over his chest. 

“But, seriously!” Sengoku said as he shook himself out of the surprise (and was that slight fear in his eyes?) by Akutsu’s behaviour. “You’re my opponent?” 

“Yes,” Hari sighed. “Got a problem with that?” 

“No,” he smiled and suddenly she was sure she saw hearts in his eyes. “I’ll prove to you through my tennis that I am serious and will take you out on a date afterwards!” 

Hari sighed. 

“No,” she said turning away. She looked noticed the old man seated at the bench and realized that it was the man she had collided with earlier. He was watching her with a pensive look on his face but he smiled kindly when he saw her looking. 

 

“I’ll start,” Sengoku said confidently. 

“Oh?” Hari asked curiously as she spun the racket. “We’ll see. Call a side.” 

“Rough,” he said his blue eyes locked on her and a smirk on his lips. 

Hari was curious about how he was so confident about this. She watched as the racket fell and sure enough it was rough. 

“See? I’m Lucky Sengoku,” he explained easily. “Though, I had hoped to be playing Echizen seeing that this is Singles 3 and he normally plays that, but…” 

Hari snorted. 

“Guess you have some luck,” she said as she picked up her racket and turned to walk to the side. “Since I’m Echizen Hari.” 

He arched a brow. 

“Hm. Really now…” he smiled. “Lucky.” 

Hari couldn’t help that she found him amusing even if a bit annoying. 

 

Hari frowned as she missed another one of his balls but she had been closer this time, she knew it. She gripped her racket tighter as she looked over at Sengoku who was looking confident and calm. Just as she expected him to look really. 

40-0

She had to do something to change this. He was in the lead with 40-0 and even if it only was the first game she still didn’t like it. 

But she wasn’t going to give up. She still had fight in her and she focused on him as he hit the ball and she saw it move like in slow motion and she reacted. She ran to the right and reached out just in time to reach the ball and returned it over the net. 

Her eyes followed the ball and saw it connected to his racket and she moved knowing that the ball would go to her left now and she jumped and stretched with the racket out in front of her and managed to hit the ball and hit it back over the net as she crashed to the ground. 

“Yes! Hari-chan!” she heard someone cheer. 

40-15

She pushed herself back up to her feet and brushed off her hands as she did and looked over at Sengoku who was smiling but still looked a little pensive was he watched her. 

“Hmm…”

 

Ryoga sighed as he noticed his father hidden behind a tree like a creeper but didn’t turn to fully look at him nor look away from Hari who was playing her first official match. 

She was fighting very well even if she was behind 4 games to 1. She had just taken her first game and looked more determined than anything else. She was nowhere near giving up. 

“She should just give up,” Ryoga heard someone mutter. 

“Yeah, I don’t know what the coach for Seigaku was thinking of putting her into the game…” 

“Poor girl… and against someone like Sengoku. He’s a talent!” 

“So cruel…” 

Ryoga snorted quietly as he listened to them. They didn’t know anything. Hari would prove that she was playing for a reason. She already had shown that she had talent as well. 

“Go Hari-chan!” 

“Hari-chan!” 

Ryoga smiled as he heard the freshmen from Seigaku cheer and he noticed the smile on Hari’s face as well and the way she squared her shoulders even more. 

“She’s going for it now,” Ryoma said as he came up next to him. 

“Yeah,” Ryoga nodded. “I look forward to watching her.” 

“How did you know that Hari was playing today?” Ryoma asked curiously. 

“Nanako said that Oyaji had gone off to spy on Hari-chan,” Ryoga rolled his eyes and heard Ryoma sigh next to him, “she also said that the coach had called and said something about a possibility for Hari-chan to play today.” 

“So Oyaji is somewhere around here?” Ryoma asked. 

“He’s hidden behind a tree over there,” Ryoga motioned toward the hiding spot. “I’m sure he’s spying and plotting intervention on every boy who’s talked to Hari-chan today.” 

“Troublesome,” Ryoma sighed even if his lips twitched a little. “Though, it’s more amusing when it’s Hari that’s affected and not me.” 

Ryoga laughed. 

“I feel for Hari-chan,” Ryoga said. “If she ever gets a boyfriend…I don’t know if he will survive…” 

Ryoma chuckled and nodded in agreement just as Hari served and they watched as Sengoku missed the slice serve of hers. 

“That’s a good serve,” Ryoga smiled. 

“She’s really gotten better at it,” Ryoma agreed. 

 

Ryoga watched as Hari glanced to the side and followed her eyes finding her looking at Fuji who smiled at her and nodded. Ryoga frowned slightly as he wondered what she had planned now and why Fuji seemed to know. 

“Hm,” Ryoma frowned next to him and Ryoga arched a brow. 

“Nani?” he asked. 

“I think…” but he trailed off and Ryoga gave up trying to figure it out. 

Hari bounced the ball a couple of times before she tossed it up and performed her normal slice serve but only this time Ryoga could tell that she purposely made it so that the ball would hit closer to Sengoku… but why would she do that? 

The ball was returned in a high curve and he realised that Hari had already reached the net and had jumped up in a way that resembled a bird, it was almost like he was seeing a bird and flames surround her, and with a backhand volley smash hit the ball in the place where Sengoku had left making him miss the ball. 

Ryoga blinked and blinked again. Had she predicted where Sengoku would return the ball? And then followed up with the jump and backhand volley smash? Something that was very difficult to manage? 

“She made it,” Ryoma said and smiled sincerely at the girl on the court who looked pleased. 

“What was that?” Ryoga asked. 

“Her new move,” Ryoma said. 

 

“She did it,” Fuji smiled. 

“Eh? Fujiko-chan?” Kikumaru glanced at him. 

“What move was that?” Kawamura asked. “I’ve never seen anything like it.” 

“It’s her new move,” Fuji explained sounding proud. “She has worked really hard on it.” 

“I see,” Tezuka said but he smiled slightly as well. “Very good.” 

“Yes! Hari-chan!” Momoshiro cheered loudly and punched a hand into the air. “You can do it!” 

 

“Wow,” Minami Kentaro said as he stared at the girl playing Sengoku. 

“That’s….amazing,” Higashikata said slightly awed. 

“…what kind of move was that?” Dan blinked and looked up at Akutsu who grumbled and glared at the court despite feeling slightly impressed by the move. 

“Hmmm… so that’s why you had her play,” Banda or Banji as he is more commonly known commented to himself as he glanced over at the other bench and to a pleased-looking Ryuzaki. “To have someone like her… Echizen Hari, huh? I wonder…” 

 

Hari had gotten more into it now and watched Sengoku who was more determined now and not as happy-go-lucky anymore as he served his ball. She noticed how his arm moved and remembering Saeki’s lessons let herself react without thinking too hard and used a backhand slice shot to return the ball giving the ball backspin. 

He returned it and she changed her grip on the racket and hit the ball with a topspin forehand and the rally continued back and forth. Back and forth, until she managed to smash the ball behind him and out of the court. 

It was tiring but fun. Hari smiled as she gripped the racket in her hand and felt the excitement run through her as she was finally catching up to him. It was only one point for her now and then she would be even. 

 

“6-4! Seigaku, Echizen Hari win!” The referee called out over the stunned court. 

Hari collapsed exhausted on the court but she was grinning widely. She had done it! She had won! She heard the cheers from the others but she had no energy to get up and look at them or join them in their cheering. 

“Hari-chan!” 

“Hari!” Ryoma smiled down at her and she grinned as he held out a hand for her to take. She grabbed it and let him pull her back to her feet. “Good game!” 

She smiled and hugged him because he was her brother and she had just won her first official game. The happiness felt like it was going to burst out of her chest. 

“Hari-chan!” a loud exclamation sounded and just as she pulled back from Ryoma she felt another body collide with hers and her air supply was starting to get short. 

“Eiji! She can’t breathe!” Oishi’s frantic voice sounded in the background and soon Hari could breathe again and she gasped for air but still smiled. 

“Awesome game, nya!” Kikumaru beamed. 

“Good game, Hari-chan,” Fuji smiled with his eyes closed, “and good move.” 

Hari just smiled and leaned against Ryoma who had taken the job to keep her upright when Kikumaru had pulled away (or dragged back by Oishi). 

Hari pulled herself together to go and greet Sengoku like she was supposed to and saw the sad smile on his face but he had a note of respect in his eyes as he looked at her. 

She shook his hand and he nodded at her. 

“I’ll win next time,” he said. 

“I look forward to playing you again, Sengoku-san,” she answered. 

 

“Good game, Hari-san,” Tezuka said and even smiled (!) at her. “I was impressed by your new move.” 

“It was awesome!” Kikumaru said excitedly. “Does it have a name?” 

Hari was now leaning against Fuji since Ryoma had to get ready for his game against Akutsu (who glared at her even harder now). She smiled tiredly. 

“Um, yeah…” she said, “I call it the Phoenix Rising.” 

“Phoenix Rising?” Kikumaru repeated questioningly before he smiled. “I like it!” 

“Me too,” Momoshiro grinned. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what do you think? :) 
> 
> Hari played in her first official match! XD The new move of hers is inspired by an idea given to me by a wonderful reviewer called LeafyLuminary XD I will admit that I don't know too much about tennis and all the moves that are possible. I have researched it a while and tried to make the best of it with my understanding of the sport and some freedom in creative writing ;) There's a meaning with the move and name that will be explained more in further chapters as well. 
> 
> I will try to have one more chapter ready before the new year. Thank you for reading and supporting the story so far, I really appreciate it! XD 
> 
> Merry Christmas to everyone who celebrates the holiday. I hope you have a wonderful time filled with happiness and laughter! :) 
> 
> Japanese words used:  
> Itee - Ouch  
> Ma - filler  
> Oji-san - Unlce  
> Ie - No  
> Nani - What  
> Baka - Idiot  
> Chibi - Little  
> Sempai - upperclassman  
> Ano - filler  
> Oyaji - Old man /dad  
> Arigatou - Thank you


	27. Family and friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing!  
>  **"parseltongue"**

They all stared when Ryoma started the match against Akutsu with a new move called Drive A and planting a ball directly between the Yamabuki player’s eyes making him fall back and land on his back after skidding several meters. 

“That is for threatening Hari,” Ryoma said darkly. 

Hari frowned slightly. 

“Hari?” Ryoga asked from his place next to her. “What is he talking about?” 

“Nanimonai,” she said without looking away from the court. She looked at Ryoma and saw the protective note in his eyes as he glared at Akutsu who was getting back at his feet with a pensive frown on his face. He didn’t look to be hurt or anything. 

Ryoga frowned but didn’t ask deciding to wait until later. 

What followed was an intense and furious match and for a long time it looked like Ryoma was going to be overpowered completely by Akutsu (who Hari reluctantly admitted had talent in tennis). He was a bad match for Ryoma and much too violent. But Ryoma being Ryoma never gave up. 

She smiled at Kaido when he came and stood next to her ignoring Ryoga’s speculative look as he did. He just hissed ( **“a whole lot of fun for one coin”** ) and pushed his hands into his pockets as he watched the match. 

Hari would never admit the way her heart felt like it stopped for a moment when Ryoma fell back after what looked like a ball to the face but turned out to be an act, he had managed to get the racket up in time to hit the ball back over the net and gaining a point. 

The whole team was tense with worry and anticipation and one could practically feel it in the air as they watched Ryoma fight against Akutsu with everything he got and evolving in front of their eyes. 

“I can’t get over how fast Ryo-chan is learning,” Hari smiled proudly as she watched her little brother take yet another point against Akutsu. 

**“The little runt is a growing bush,”** Kaido hissed. “He is strong.” 

Hari’s lips twitched amused as she glanced at her friend who was glaring at the match. She smiled and looked back as well. 

Hari frowned though as she let her eyes linger on Akutsu. He looked like he was having fun and some of the harsh lines around his eyes and face vanished. He didn’t look as hard and unapproachable as before and suddenly she was wondering if this was the side that Dan saw in this teen? 

She looked to the Yamabuki side and found Dan easily standing in between the players where he was watching the match with an awed expression on his face and hands clutched together. He was kind of adorable in a puppy-sort-of-way. 

“I wonder…” she said turning her eyes back to Akutsu. 

 

“He won!” Hari laughed as she released Kaido’s arm which she had grabbed at the last part of the match as they battled fiercely for the match point. 

“He did,” Kaido said allowing a small smile to cross his lips and Hari beamed up at him before she rushed onto the court and threw her arms around her little brother. 

“You did it!” she cheered. 

“Hari…breathe…” Ryoma gasped but Hari just continued to hug him. He gasped and tenderly patted her back and let out a relieved sigh as she pulled back and let go of him. 

“You’re crazy,” Hari grinned at him. 

“Oi! I don’t want to hear that from you,” Ryoma scoffed. 

“Why? It’s true,” she laughed and ruffled his hair making his cap fall off and land on the ground behind him. He swatted her hand away with a small glare. 

“Ryoma!” 

“Ryoma-sama!” 

The rest of the team joined them and soon surrounded them on the court. 

“Are you fighting?” Momoshiro grinned as he took in the pout on Ryoma’s face. 

“Who? Us?” Hari smiled innocently. 

Ryoma sighed and shook his head but smiled slightly when Hari threw an arm around his shoulder. 

“You did great, Echizen!” Momoshiro grinned down at Ryoma. 

“You really did,” Oishi smiled. 

“Sugoi, Ochibi” Kikumaru grinned. 

Hari smiled amused at the pleased look on Ryoma’s face that he tried to hide underneath a blank face. He was just so cute. 

 

“Interesting match,” a voice said and Hari looked up and saw Banda standing there looking at her with a smile on his face. 

“Um, arigatou,” she said and straightened up a little. 

“You’re Echizen Hari?” he asked even though he knew. 

“Yes,” she nodded. 

“Nanjiro’s kid?” he tilted his head a little and Hari shifted a little on her feet as she wondered what he wanted. 

“He’s my adoptive father,” she said. “Why?” 

“No reason,” Banda smiled. “I was just curious. I knew him when he was a young player himself, you know. Before he became a pro.” 

“I see,” Hari said. 

“You think I’m an old man, right?” Banda said. 

“Eh? No…” Hari blinked. 

“Haha,” he laughed. “No reason to be worried, Hari-chan. I am just curious about you. You played a very interesting match against Sengoku-kun.” 

“It was a fun match,” Hari smiled. 

“It sure was,” Banda nodded. “I am curious to see what else you can do. You and your brother.” 

With that he turned and left Hari standing there looking confused before she shrugged and sighed as she found herself attacked by a bouncy acrobat. 

“Hari-chan!” Kikumaru yelled. 

“I’m going to become deaf,” she winced and somehow managed to get free from the bouncy boy. “Don’t yell into my ear, Kikumaru-sempai.” 

He just laughed and she rolled her eyes fondly. 

“What did Yamabuki’s coach want with you?” Momoshiro asked as the rest joined them. 

“I have no idea,” she shrugged. “Talk. He asked if I were Nanjiro’s kid…” 

“Oyaji would be pleased with that,” Ryoma smiled and Hari looked at him briefly before she looked away. 

 

Hari stilled as she noticed something from the corner of her eyes as she was talking with the team and she narrowed her eyes. 

“No.” She suddenly said. 

“Hari?” Ryoma asked looking at her curiously. The others also fell silent as they turned to look at her. 

“Please tell me he didn’t,” Hari said and looked at Ryoma who smiled. 

“Didn’t what?” he asked but the growing smirk on his face had her narrowing her eyes at him. 

“That he hasn’t been hiding in the bushes all day spying on me?” Hari said. 

Ryoma laughed while the others looked something between confused and curious. Hari groaned and hung her head. 

“What are you talking about, nya?” Kikumaru asked unable to remain silent anymore. 

Hari remained still for a moment before she straightened up and got a determined look on her face. 

“Nanimonai,” she said and started to walk. 

“Where are you going?” Momoshiro called after her but she didn’t answer as she stalked off toward the bushes where she had spotted the brown hair and monk outfit. 

“Eh? Hari-chan!” Kikumaru called as well before he turned to Ryoma and Ryoga who both looked amused and in Ryoga’s case also sympathetic. “Where she’s going?” 

“Cause trouble for Oyaji,” Ryoma said. 

“You mean your dad is the one she talked about spying?” Sakuno was the one who asked while Inoue and Shiba looked amused as they stood to the side watching them. 

“That brat,” Ryuzaki shook her head having come up to join them and heard what her granddaughter said. “He is impossible.” 

They heard a yelp and saw a man running with Hari taking off after him looking angry. They only saw the back of the man who was wearing a monk outfit and had short brown hair. 

“Ah, he’s an idiot,” Ryoga nodded before he laughed and tossed his orange up in the air. “He should have made a run for it when he saw her coming toward him.” 

“He really should,” Ryoma nodded. 

“But why is your dad spying on Hari-chan?” Kawamura frowned. 

Ryoma looked at him. 

“He’s worried she has met a boy and I’m sure he’s trying to figure out if it’s one of you,” Ryoma deadpanned. 

Fuji smiled looking amused. 

“So, she has met a boy has she?” Fuji smiled. 

“Eh? Hari-chan?” Kikumaru blinked owlishly. “No way!” 

“She has?” Momoshiro frowned. “Who?” 

Ryoga looked at them and laughed again suddenly looking even more amused and shook his head. 

“Poor Hari…” he said as he turned around to walk away. “Poor, poor Hari… She’ll never get a moment of peace…Bye Ryoma! See you at home!” 

Ryoma looked after his brother for a second before looking back at the team. 

“I don’t know,” Ryoma shrugged. “But Oyaji is always suspicious about Hari and boys… I think he is developing a complex. He is hopeless.” 

 

Hari stopped chasing Nanjiro when he jumped on his bike calling something about having a nice day or something. He was such an idiot! She couldn’t believe that he had spent the entire day hidden behind bushes or trees just so he could spy on her! 

She blinked. Okay…so maybe she could believe it. But who did that? He was crazy! Argh, that man was impossible. She ignored the part of her that warmed up at the thought that he cared enough to worry about her and wanted to protect her (even if he did go crazy). 

She was also pleased that he had seen her first official match. She grinned. She had played her first official match and she had won! It had gone better than she could have dreamed! She felt like skipping and suddenly she really wanted to tell Seiichi. 

He would be happy for her if he knew. She paused and bit down on her lower lip as she suddenly pictured Seiichi’s proud smile and happy look in his violet-blue eyes as he looked at her… She flushed. 

Why did she suddenly want to tell him? Well, he was her friend. A good friend. It was only natural to want to share something like this with a friend, right? 

Right? 

Would he mind if she called him? 

She pulled out her phone and found his number and stared at it. She moved to press the call button before she hesitated. Would he think it was strange that she called him just to say that she had played tennis in an official match? Would he even care? Maybe he thought she was just bragging and that it was no big deal… 

No. He wouldn’t think that. She was sure. 

Ugh. This was too complicated. She wanted to call him so she would. That’s all there was to it. She pushed the call button and brought the phone to her ear. 

 

Seiichi was seated on a small sofa and flipping through a magazine as he thought about how to proceed with his plan to make Hari his. He wanted to make it perfect. 

“You’re here,” Sanada commented as he entered the room. 

“What a welcome,” Seiichi said dryly and looked up at his best friend. “You’ve been practising tennis?” 

“Hai,” Sanada said. “We made it to the Kanto Tournament, but there still are improvements to be made.” 

“You even tougher than me sometimes, Genichiro,” Seiichi commented as before he looked back down at his botanist magazine. 

“What are you doing?” Sanada said ignoring the last comment. 

“Trying to decide what to do next,” Seiichi said and glanced up at him. “I want to find the best way to show Hari-chan that I like her.” 

Sanada chocked on the water he was drinking as he turned stunned eyes to Seiichi. 

“What?” Seiichi asked innocently. 

“You openly admit that you like her?” Sanada asked. 

Seiichi looked up at his best friend for a moment before looking back down at the magazine. 

“Mochiron,” Seiichi said. “To you I do.” 

Sanada would have rolled his eyes if he did that sort of thing, but instead, he let out a small sigh and put his water bottle down. 

“I thought you did, but you never said anything,” Sanada said. 

Seiichi just shrugged. 

“She’s too popular for her own good,” Seiichi frowned slightly. “So, I have to make a plan and win her heart before someone else does.” 

Sanada looked at him and smiled slightly leaning against his desk. 

“You really do like her,” he observed. 

Seiichi nodded but before he could say anything else his phone rang and he pulled it out before smiling softly. 

“Hello, Hari-chan,” he greeted. 

_“Hey, Sei-chan,”_ Hari’s voice sounded a little breathless but happy. 

“What has you smiling?” Seiichi asked curiously. 

_“How do you know I’m smiling?”_ Hari asked. 

“I can hear it in your voice,” Seiichi answered. “So?” 

_“I guess I am smiling,”_ Hari said with a light laugh. _“I just played my first official match today! And I won!”_

Seiichi arched a brow before he smiled. 

“Really? That’s great,” Seiichi said. “Who did you play?” 

Sanada arched a brow as he looked over at Seiichi who was smiling in a way that Sanada never had seen before and he blinked feeling a little stunned. 

_“Sengoku Kiyosumi, of Yamabuki,”_ Hari said. 

“That’s amazing,” Seiichi said. “He’s a good player too.” 

_“I know,”_ Hari laughed. _“I was really surprised when Tezuka-Captain said I was playing. I thought he was joking at first, but then I remembered that Captain doesn’t joke.”_

Seiichi snorted. No, Tezuka wasn’t one for jokes. At least not too many and not about tennis. 

“So how was your match? Tell me,” Seiichi said. 

And she did. Well, she told him the fast overview of the match but it was enough to make Seiichi wish he had seen it. 

“I look forward to hearing more about it,” Seiichi said when she finished. “I wish I had seen it.” 

_“Mm,”_ Hari agreed.

“So, you saw Akutsu again too, then?” Seiichi asked with a frown. 

_“I did, but it went fine,”_ Hari said. _“Ryo-chan beat him in their match. It was amazing! Ryo-chan really is amazing.”_

“I see,” Seiichi smiled. “I look forward to seeing your brother play, then.” 

_“You should,” Hari agreed._

Seiichi could hear something in the distance and heard the sigh from Hari. 

_“I’m sorry, Sei-chan, but I have to go,”_ she said, _“Ryo-chan and the others are coming and… I don’t like the teasing look on Shu-chan’s face…”_

“Fuji?” Seiichi asked. 

_“Mhm, he’s got that look on his face that says he knows something and can’t wait to tease me with it,”_ Hari grumbled, _“but, anyway, I’ll talk to you later! Bye!”_

“Okay, bye,” Seiichi said and hung up. 

 

“I guess that was Hari-chan?” Sanada broke the silence. 

“Yes,” Seiichi nodded absentmindedly. 

“And she played in a match?” Sanada probed. 

“Eh?” Seiichi blinked and looked at him before he nodded. “Yeah, she played Sengoku from Yamabuki and won.” 

“Impressive,” Sanada noted and Seiichi nodded again. “So, what do you have planned for Hari-chan, Seiichi?” 

 

Hari slipped away and went to the bar to get something to drink. She smiled at Kawamura’s father who smiled back at her and handed her a bottle of coke. 

“Arigatou,” she said.

“You’re welcome,” he said kindly. 

She looked around the room and took in her laughing teammates and their happiness over their victory made her smile. Momoshiro and Kikumaru were causing chaos like normal while Oishi tried to calm them down but laughed at the same time so he failed. Tezuka was seated next to Oishi and was mostly silent as his eyes scanned them all; it was like he was looking out for them all. 

Fuji was eating some sushi that had Ryoma and the other first years looking a little green and Hari rolled her eyes at them. She had finally gotten free from his teasing and insinuating and she was a little worried about what exactly it was he knew… 

“Hari-chan,” Kawamura smiled at her and she blinked as she realised that he had come up to her. “Are you alright?” 

“I’m fine, Kawamura-sempai,” she smiled at him. “Just got thirsty.” 

He nodded and accepted the soda from his father as well. 

“You owe me a sushi-lesson by the way;” Hari suddenly said and turned to face the older boy. 

“I do?” Kawamura blinked while his father looked amusedly at her. 

“Yeah, you promised that you would teach me how to make sushi,” Hari nodded. 

“I see,” Kawamura said. “Then, when do you want your lesson?” 

Hari took a drink before smiling. 

“What about now?” she asked. 

“Now?” Kawamura looked confused and Hari nodded. 

“Yeah, you can teach me some now, can’t you?” she asked. 

Kawamura looked over at his father who nodded in agreement. 

“Okay,” Kawamura agreed. 

 

Hari watched as Kawamura showed her how to slice up the fish in perfect bits and the best way to hold the knife. She had never really thought it took that much effort to just slice up the fish correctly. But she had fun watching him and it looked like he had fun as well as he explained. 

“You really look like you’re enjoying this,” Hari commented when they were finished. 

“I guess,” Kawamura rubbed the back of his head while he smiled embarrassedly. “I want to help my dad.” 

Hari nodded and glanced over at his father who was now talking with Ryuzaki. 

“He is a kind man,” she said. 

“He is,” Kawamura agreed. 

Hari was silent for a moment. 

“You knew Akutsu before, right?” she suddenly asked. 

“I did,” Kawamura frowned. 

“Has he always been that…rough,” she grimaced slightly at the last word but it was the best she knew how to describe him. 

“He has had a tough life,” Kawamura said after a moment. “His mother is rather young and a single mum. He was bullied because of it and it made him…well, angry.” 

Hari frowned slightly as she thought 

“I know that what he does is wrong and that he provokes a lot of people,” Kawamura continued, “but I still worry about him. He does have a softer side, but he rarely shows it.” 

Hari glanced at Kawamura with a pensive look on her face. 

“I see,” she said thoughtfully before she smiled. “You are very kind, Kawamura-sempai.” 

He blushed embarrassed and looked away but she just smiled. 

“Hari, we should go,” Ryoma called over to her.

“Alright!” She said and looked back at Kawamura. “Thank you for the lesson, sempai.” 

 

Hari raised an unimpressed brow at Nanjiro who was looking at her suspiciously. Rinko rolled her eyes at her husband as she passed him and pulled Hari into to a hug. 

“Congratulations on your first official match, Hari-chan,” Rinko smiled when she pulled back. “I wish I had been there to see it.” 

“Thank you,” Hari smiled back at her. 

“You let those boys touch you way too much;” Nanjiro whine interrupted them but they ignored him. 

“I heard you did great,” Rinko said. “Ryoga said you played like you hadn’t done anything else for years.” 

Hari blushed and looked over at Ryoga who was lying on the sofa looking perfectly relaxed but she met his eyes and saw his smile. 

“I don’t know about that,” Hari said modestly. “I know I made mistakes and that Sengoku-san probably underestimated me a little, but it was a fun match.” 

“That’s what’s important,” Rinko nodded. 

“I mean, the way that bouncy boy grabbed you and hugged you,” Nanjiro continued to rambled and even started to pace up and down the floor. 

“Are you hungry?” Rinko asked looking at Hari and Ryoma. 

“We just ate,” Hari said. “We celebrated at Kawamura-sempai’s place. His father owns a sushi restaurant.” 

“And that other boy…the one who ruffled your hair…” 

“Really?” Rinko said. “That’s nice.” 

Hari and Ryoma both nodded. 

“Kawamura-sempai even gave Hari a lesson,” Ryoma smiled and Nanjiro spun around to stare at her. 

“Which one is that?” he demanded. 

“The kind, shy one,” Hari rolled her eyes. “Honestly, Otou-chan, you are impossible…” 

She stilled when she realised what she had said and so did everyone else. Nanjiro blinked his wide hazel eyes at her. 

“I…um…” Hari flushed and looked down as she bit her lower lip. How could she be so careless and let that slip out? What must… “Ouch…” 

She suddenly found herself yanked into a tight bone-crushing hug that threatened to cut off her air supply. It took a moment for her to realise that Nanjiro was the one who was hugging her and she felt him shake slightly as he did. 

“Finally!” Nanjiro cheered and started to spin around the room and since he still hadn’t let go of Hari she was being spun around as well but she didn’t really mind. She just leaned into his hug and allowed him to hold her up as he spun around and around while laughing. 

Eventually he put her down and grinned down at her with the widest grin she’d seen on his face. She smiled nervously back feeling uncertain but at the same time hopeful… this didn’t seem like the reaction of someone who was upset at being called ‘Otou-chan’ by mistake. 

“You finally called me Otou-chan!” Nanjiro said. 

“I…you don’t mind?” Hari asked gingerly. 

“Mind? Of course not!” Nanjiro said. “I’ve been waiting for you to do it.” 

“We have waited for you to be ready or decide on your own that you wanted to call us by Otou-chan and Okaa-chan,” Rinko smiled warmly and pulled Hari into another hug and held her for a long moment. “We’re so happy if you want to call us that.” 

Hari swallowed the tears she felt coming and hugged Rinko back and let out a staggering breath when she felt Nanjiro hug them both. 

“Okaa-chan,” she whispered. “Otou-chan.” 

“Our girl,” Nanjiro said quietly. 

Hari was finally released from the hug only to find herself in front of Ryoga who was smiling at her and blinked when he reached out and ruffled her hair. 

“I have a new little sister,” he said and she blinked again. “You should call me Nii-chan.” 

Hari couldn’t help it. She laughed and nodded. 

“Okay, Nii-chan,” she said and he grinned and hugged her. 

“Can’t be the only one here to not hug you,” he whispered in her ear. “Or… Ryoma, come over here…” 

“What? No…” Ryoma protested and Hari heard him yelp when Ryoga managed to grab him and pulled him into their hug and she could hear Ryoma grumble something but he did hug her as well. 

 

Hari yawned as she walked through the school the next day but she couldn’t help but smile even if she was tired. She had not fallen asleep until late because she kept going over everything that had happened, the match and then the family time. She still felt the warmth from their hugs and their acceptance. 

She had never felt so…accepted and safe and…and home before in her life. The way they lit up when she called them ‘Otou-chan’ and ‘Okaa-chan’ would remain as one of her happiest memories for a long time. She was sure she could cast a Patronus charm with that memory. 

“You look happy,” Fuji said as he came up beside her. “Is it your boyfriend who makes you so happy?” 

Hari rolled her eyes and shot him a glare. 

“Ha-ha, very funny,” she said. “I told you yesterday, I don’t have a boyfriend.” 

“Hmm,” Fuji smiled his signature smile, “I don’t believe you.” 

“Whatever,” Hari said just as they reached the tennis court and joined the others for their practice. 

“Hari-chan,” Kikumaru waved and she blinked confused for a moment before she realised that Oishi was holding his shirt. So that was why he hadn’t hug-attacked her yet. 

“Hey, Kikumaru-sempai,” Hari waved back. 

The practice started when Tezuka got there having talked with Ryuzaki about something. 

 

Hari looked up when she noticed a new person enter the court and she looked at him curiously. He was dressed in a pair of black trousers and a simple white shirt, it was clearly a part of a school uniform but it looked more laid back without the jacket. And without the jacket, she had no way to see which school he belonged to. His hair was also messy and dark and even from where she stood she could tell he had green eyes. Much like hers, actually. 

Who was he? She wondered curiously just as Oishi and Inui noticed him and Oishi, polite as he was, asked who he was. The boy looked a little startled like he had hoped to remain unnoticed but soon smiled confidently. 

“I’m Rikkai Dai Jr. High’s junior ace,” he said with a smirk, ”Kirihara Akaya.” 

Hari felt her eyes widen as she looked at him with a new interest in her eyes. So he was one of Seiichi’s teammates? She did remember Seiichi talking about someone named Kirihara Akaya before and knew he was looked at like the “baby” of their team. 

Hari ignored Inui and Oishi’s comments as she observed Kirihara who now rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and grinned. 

“I came to do some spying,” he said bluntly and Hari felt her lips twitch as she noticed the temperature rise around her as the club started to whisper and mutter among themselves. She eyes Arai because he was the one most likely to lose control of his temper, but so far, so good… 

Hari stepped to the side and pulled out her phone and hit the call button. 

_“Hello?”_

“Hey, are you missing a player?” Hari asked. 

_“Eh? How did you know that?”_ Seiichi asked surprised and heard him shush someone at his side. 

“Because I’m psychic,” Hari smiled. 

_“No, seriously, how did you know?”_ Seiichi asked. 

“He’s here,” Hari said. 

_“Where? At your school?”_ Seiichi sounded confused and she smiled. 

“Yes,” Hari said. _“Currently he’s trying to pick a fight with Tezuka-Captain… I wonder if Tezuka-Captain can actually frown any more than he currently is…”_

Seiichi sighed. 

_“Seriously,”_ he muttered. _“I’m sorry.”_

“Nah, don’t worry,” Hari said before she stopped to take in what was happening now. He hit a ball back to Arai (who of course had snapped and hit a ball at him) and then, of course, the ball missed Arai (was that on purpose?) and hit Momoshiro in the face. Causing Momoshiro to fall back and lose his grip on his racket that flew through the air and hit Kachiro who was carrying a basket full of tennis balls….which led to tennis balls all around the court and somehow ended up with Kaido with his drink over his head, hissing and spitting as he glared doom over the entire club as he demanded to know who had done it. 

It was very much like watching dominos fall…

“On second thought….” Hari blinked at the chaos that erupted. “I think maybe he should run before Ka-chan kills him…” 

_“I would come to get him, but I’m tied up with our practice match,”_ Seiichi sighed. _“I can’t leave…”_

“Where are you?” Hari asked. “I’ll get him to you.” 

_“Really? Are you sure?”_ Seiichi asked. 

“It’s no problem,” Hari said before adding in her mind; I get to see you again too.

 

“Captain?” Hari approached Tezuka and Ryuzaki while the others went for their run. She saw the arched brows since she hadn’t joined the others and winced slightly. 

“Yes?” he looked at her. 

“I wondered if I may be excused?” she asked. 

“Why?” 

“Well,” she cleared her throat and fought off her blush. “I know Rikkai Dai’s Captain and I talked to him… He apologizes for the mess Kirihara-kun caused, by the way, and I sort of promised that I would get him, Kirihara-kun I mean, to them.” 

Tezuka arched a brow again as he looked at her while Ryuzaki looked pensively at her. 

“You know Yukimura Seiichi?” Tezuka asked. 

“Yes, Captain,” Hari nodded. “He’s a friend.” 

There were no signs of surprise on Tezuka’s face as he stared at her blankly. Hari felt like squirming but kept herself still. 

“I didn’t know that,” Tezuka finally said. 

“No, I guess I haven’t told anyone,” Hari shrugged. “It hasn’t come up.” 

“Is this the boy Nanjiro is sure you have met but don’t know who is?” Ryuzaki asked curiously. <(å>

Hari glanced at her. 

“Who knows?” Hari shrugged, “perhaps. But Sei-chan is just a friend.” 

_Why did it hurt her heart to say those words?_

“I see,” Ryuzaki said. 

“Alright,” Tezuka said. “If you complete a series of training by yourself by tomorrow, I will allow you to leave now.” 

Hari smiled and nodded. 

“Thank you, Tezuka-Captain,” Hari waved and turned around and ran off after Kirihara. 

 

“Oi!” Hari called out when she saw Kirihara standing leaned against a wall watching the team make their laps. 

“Eh?” he turned his head and looked at her and she saw his eyes widen when he took in her training clothes. “Are you a player for the boy’s team? Wait, I saw you on the courts, didn’t I?” 

“You probably did,” Hari nodded. “Nice to meet you, Kirihara-kun. I’m Echizen Hari.” 

He blinked at her. 

“So, what do you want?” he asked tilting his head. “A match? I’m sorry but I don’t really play girls…” 

Hari rolled her eyes. 

“As if I would play you,” she said. “Now, I’ve come to take you back to your team.” 

“What?” he asked surprised. 

“Yes, so please wait here while I go and change,” Hari said and turned to go to her changing room. 

7 minutes later she was out and she found Kirihara waiting for her and looked at her curiously. 

“Why are you going to take me back to my team?” he asked when she walked up to him. “Did your coach order you to?” 

Hari snorted. 

“No,” she said. “I asked Tezuka-Captain if I could be excused early because I promised Sei-chan to take you back to your team. Now, come on, Kirihara-kun!” 

Hari grabbed his arm and dragged him with her toward the school gates. 

 

Kirihara watched the girl who had by now let go of his arm but was leading him in what seemed like circles. They had taken a bus and since he wasn’t on his own he hadn’t fallen asleep, well, trying to figure out this girl might be one reason for not falling asleep. But now, after they had stepped off the bus, they walked in circles and…yeah, that was the bus stop again. 

“We’re back where we started,” Kirihara commented. 

“It moved,” Hari scowled. 

“What moved? The bus stop?” Kirihara asked incredulously. 

“Hey, don’t mock,” Hari pouted at him. “Sei-chan didn’t really explain how to get to the school you are playing your practice match…” 

Kirihara frowned again as he wondered who ‘Sei-chan’ was because it couldn’t be the one he was thinking about. There was no way… but who else? Again he looked at the girl with the dark auburn hair and green eyes as she looked around. 

They started to walk again and this time they walked in a different direction, so hopefully, they would end up where they were supposed to be. Kirihara looked at the smile playing on her lips as she looked around and pulled out her phone before putting it back. 

She was a strange one. And he had no idea what to think about her, she was pretty. Really pretty, he thought as he glanced at her again. And the way she just told him that she was going to take him back to his team… and he had no idea why he even followed her. 

“Ha! There it is!” She grinned and pointed as she cast a look over at Kirihara. “I found it!” 

Kirihara smiled amused and shook his head. 

“Good for you, then,” he said. 

“Oh, come on,” she said. “I’m sure your matches are almost done, but hopefully your team is still here… Sei-chan hasn’t said anything about leaving, so…” 

 

“Is Akaya coming?” Marui asked looking at Seiichi. 

“Hai,” Seiichi nodded. “He should be here soon…though…” 

He frowned. 

“Seiichi?” Sanada arched a brow at him. 

“Hari-chan is bringing him,” Seiichi told him. 

“Hari-chan?” Marui and Nio looked at each other. 

“Hari-chan?” Sanada repeated and looked at Seiichi. “Then we could end up waiting for a while… she’s a master on getting lost, isn’t she?” 

Seiichi sighed but he nodded. The team was gathered around him and talking lightly among themselves while they waited, while the other team had already left. 

“I wonder who this Hari-chan is,” Marui said. 

“She’s probably a friend of Yukimura-Captain,” Yanagi said. 

Marui rolled his eyes but didn’t say anything else. 

“Sei-chan!” a voice suddenly called and they all looked around to see a girl with long auburn hair and green eyes coming toward them with Kirihara slightly behind her. She was grinning and waved as she skipped toward them leaving Kirihara behind as she made her way toward Seiichi. 

“Hari-chan,” Seiichi got to his feet and smiled softly and his eyes widen slightly when he felt arms around him and then her cheek right against his before she pulled back just as suddenly as she had hugged him. 

He stared at her and noticed the blush in her cheeks as she looked down and shifted a little on her feet. 

“Hello, Hari-chan,” Sanada said breaking the tense and slightly awkward silence that had occurred between them and Seiichi cast his best friend a grateful look. 

“Sanada-kun,” Hari smiled at him and seemed to have gotten control over herself again. “Nice to see you again. How are you?” 

“I’m fine,” he said. “And you?” 

“Fine,” she smiled. “So, did you win?” 

“Of course we did,” Seiichi said and Hari looked at him and laughed. 

“Of course,” she agreed. 

“Wait!” Kirihara burst out and Hari looked around to see him stare at her and Seiichi with wide eyes. 

“What?” Hari asked him. 

“Yukimura-Captain is the one you call ‘Sei-chan’?!” Kirihara asked. 

Hari blinked and looked at Seiichi who looked impassively at Kirihara. 

“Well, yeah,” Hari frowned, “who else would it be?” 

Seiichi just smiled and shook his head while his team looked a little lost and a whole lot of confused. 

“Um, Captain-san?” Marui asked. “Who’s your friend?” 

Seiichi looked at him for a moment before he looked at Hari who blinked and smiled. 

“Echizen Hari,” Seiichi said. “Hari-chan, this is my team.” 

He continued to give the names and she nodded at them as she looked at them as they were introduced. 

“Nice to meet you,” Hari said when Seiichi finished. 

“Hello!” Marui grinned. “Do you like cake?” 

Hari blinked at him. 

“I love treacle tart,” she said. 

“Ooh, I’ve never had that before,” Marui said his eyes lighting up. “Is it really good?” 

“It’s the best dessert that’s been made ever!” Hari declared. “My best friend’s mother back in England makes the best treacle tart in the world, though the one at my old boarding school was also very good.” 

“I must try it one time,” Marui said and pulled out a small book. When he noticed her looking at the book he explained, “it’s my book of cakes and desserts I must eat before I die.” 

“You’re going to freak her out, Marui,” Jackal sighed. 

“I’m not freaking her out, Jackal” Marui protested. 

“Puri, puri,” Nio smiled at Hari. “Do you attend school here in Tokyo, Echizen, puri?” 

“I attend Seigaku,” Hari answered. 

“Seigaku, huh?” Yanagi said tilting his head slightly and she noticed that he too had his eyes closed. 

“Do you play tennis, Echizen-san?” Jackal asked stopping his bickering with Marui to ask. 

“I do,” Hari grinned. 

“She just won her first official match against Sengoku of Yamabuki yesterday,” Seiichi added with a proud note in his voice. Hari flushed lightly as she glanced over at Seiichi who had been rather quiet so far, just observing her talk with his team. 

“You did?” Kirihara asked and looked at her sceptically. 

“What? You don’t think a girl can do it?” she arched a brow at him. 

“Well…” Kirihara said. 

“Akaya,” Sanada said sharply and the younger boy snapped his mouth shut and looked away. 

“Interesting,” Yanagi said. “Interesting data…” 

“Indeed, puri,” Nio agreed and looked at Hari with a new interest in his eyes. 

 

Somehow Hari ended up joining them for their dinner and sat beside Seiichi at the restaurant nearest the train station. She smiled as she observed them talking and celebrating their win, but she noticed that they were much calmer than her own team. 

“Thank you,” Seiichi said bringing her attention over at him. 

“For what?” Hari asked curiously. 

“For helping to bring Akaya back to us,” Seiichi said. “I’m sure you had to go out of your way to do it.” 

“It’s fine,” Hari smiled shyly. “I didn’t mind.” 

“He is a good kid, but he can be a little…” Seiichi sighed. 

“He’s amusing,” Hari said. “I very much liked the way he made our training grounds a complete mess and even got a reaction from Tezuka-Captain. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him frown that much before…” 

Seiichi shook his head and frowned a little. 

“Calm down, Sei-chan,” Hari said and nudged his shoulder lightly. “We’re used to chaos. We got Kikumaru on our team and Momo-chan… those two can create chaos out of thin air.” 

“And you?” Seiichi arched a brow at her and she noticed that the slight tension that had been around him was gone and smiled. 

“Me? I have no idea what you’re talking about, Sei-chan,” Hari protested with a mock glare. “I never create chaos.” 

“Sure, you don’t,” Seiichi snorted. 

Hari laughed as she shifted in her seat a little so she could more easily face him. Neither was aware of the watching team or the curious and wondering looks they got from the others, or the knowing look that Sanada had in his eyes as he looked at Seiichi. 

 

“I thought you were going with them back home,” Hari said looking over at Seiichi who was still standing beside her while his team had left to catch the train. 

“I will stay in town for a couple of more days,” Seiichi said. 

Hari smiled as she looked down to hide just how pleased she was hearing that. 

“I see,” was all she said. 

“So, do you have time or do you have to go home?” Seiichi asked. 

“I suppose I have some time,” Hari said and looked at him. “Why?” 

“No reason,” Seiichi said calmly. “Just wondered if you wanted to take a walk with me.” 

Hari looked at him for a moment longer before she nodded. 

“Sure,” she said. “That sounds good.” 

They walked in silence for a little while and again they ended up down by the river. Hari glanced at the water before looking back up at the path in front of her. 

“How're your legs?” she asked breaking the silence. 

“Fine,” Seiichi said. “I’m a little tired but nothing too bad.” 

“Should you be here and walking then?” Hari asked worriedly. “We can go and sit down somewhere…” 

“It’s fine, Hari-chan,” Seiichi reassured her. 

“Okay,” she said but still cast him a worried look. 

“So, tell me more about your match,” he said. 

Hari grinned and started to go into more detail about the match. 

 

Finally, she arrived home and found herself still smiling, though a little confused by the last comment from Seiichi. 

_“Find out what they mean and answer me tomorrow, after you’ve finished school,” his voice was calm but there was a note of nerves underneath that she didn’t understand. “I will wait for you at the botanic garden we met last time.”_

With those words he had pushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear and pressed a soft kiss to her hand like he normally did before he turned around and walked away and leaving a confused Hari. 

Find out what, what meant? 

“Hari-chan,” Nanako’s voice interrupted her thoughts. 

“Hey,” Hari smiled slightly. 

“You got a delivery while you were out,” Nanako said with a smile. 

“I did?” Hari asked curiously. 

“I put them in your room before Nanjiro-oji-san saw them,” Nanako said and winked. “He probably would have a heart attack.” 

Hari looked confused. 

“What are you talking about?” she asked. 

“You’ll see,” Nanako said and nodded toward the stairs. “You should go and find out.” 

Hari gave her one last confused look before she started to walk up the stairs and to her room. 

 

She paused as soon as she stepped into the room and saw the beautiful bouquet of flowers that was standing in a vase on her desk. She felt her mouth drop open as she looked at the flowers and she tried to figure out when she had ever gotten flowers last. Never, she realised. She had never gotten flowers before. 

Had…Had Seiichi been the one to give them to her? 

He must have been. She walked over to the flowers staring at them all the same. They were beautiful but she had no idea about what kind all of them were. She didn’t move for a long moment just staring at them. There must be at least seven different types of flowers in the bouquet. 

She reached out and let her finger touch the petal of a lily. She loved lilies. Something fell from the bouquet and she looked down at the desk and saw a card. 

_Hari-chan,_

_Congratulations on your first official match! Flowers have their own language and these tell what I want to tell you. I will let you figure out the hidden meaning._

_Yukimura Seiichi._

She really did need to find out what kind of flowers these were and their meaning, but how could she do that? She looked at them and wished that these were the kind of flowers they used in Herbology because that would have increased the chance of her knowing them. 

She smiled. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? XD 
> 
> Happy New Year! :D Hope you have had a good start on the new year! :) 
> 
> Japanese words used:  
> Nanimonai - Nothing  
> Sugoi - Awesome  
> Ochibi - Little  
> Arigatou - Thank you  
> Sempai - upperclassman  
> Oyaji - Old man/dad  
> Hai - Yes  
> Mochiron - Of course  
> Otou-chan - Dad  
> Okaa-chan - Mom


	28. Flowers and their meaning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Hari paced up and down her room casting a glance at the flowers every other second and a smile broke out on her face every time. She couldn’t help the way a burst of happiness and excitement burst through her just by watching them. 

Though, she was not sure what he was trying to say… just what kind of language did flowers have? She had to find out and she had to find out before tomorrow because he was waiting for her and he would be expecting an answer to whatever it was he was trying to say. 

If only Neville had been here, she thought. He would have known and he would have been able to help her. Even if it was magical plants he knew most about he would also know some of the muggle ones. She was sure. 

She had to find out but she couldn’t ask Ryoma or Nanjiro… She grimaced at the thought. They would become super overprotective and never allow her out of the house again. At least Nanjiro would. While Ryoma would frown at her and sulk, he would follow her around the school and never let her out of his sight. And then he would tease. She couldn’t handle the teasing, at least not right now.

Where was Hermione when she needed her? 

Oh, in Britain. Right. Hari frowned slightly and glanced at the calendar that was hanging on her wall and saw that it was the 17th of June. Meaning that they were probably on their way or maybe already back home… oh, this time-difference was confusing her. Anyway, the school year was over. 

She closed her eyes for a moment as she so easily was hit with images of Ron and Hermione on the Hogwarts Express, talking and laughing and not forget bickering together as they were on their way home to their families. Families, that would be waiting for them at Kings Cross Station and would be happy to see them. 

Something Hari always had envied them. What would it be like to step off the Hogwarts Express and be greeted with smiles and hugs instead of scowls and impatient snaps to hurry up and stop being such a burden? 

She could so easily picture herself walking with Ron and Hermione through the barriers that hid platform 9 ¾ from Kings Cross Station. Instead of being met by the Dursley’s she was met by Nanjiro, Rinko and Ryoma. They would hug her and greet her warmly. Nanjiro would look at Ron and any other boy suspiciously while Ryoma would pretend he didn’t like her hugs but being pleased by them all the same. Rinko would be warm and safe and calm. Like she always was. 

She sighed knowing that this would never happen. She wouldn’t experience this, but at least she had the real thing here. And it wasn’t like she wanted to go back because she didn’t. She wouldn’t want to leave this place but she suddenly realised just how much she missed her two best friends. 

Did they even miss her? She hadn’t gotten a letter from them, but perhaps their owls couldn’t reach her? She was in a faraway country. Oh no! She hoped Ron hadn’t tried to use Errol because she was sure that the old owl would not survive a trip all the way to Japan. 

She caught sight of the flowers again and she inhaled deeply. She was getting off track. The flowers. The wonderful and beautiful flowers that Seiichi had sent her and told her to figure out what they were saying. 

Right. 

She could do this. 

She couldn’t do this. How was she supposed to do this? She needed Hermione! But Hermione wasn’t here, so who else could she ask? 

An! She could ask An! 

 

“So, why did I have to come over?” An asked when Hari opened the door for her. “What’s the emergency?” 

“Shush!” Hari said looking over her shoulder before she reached out and grabbed An’s arm. “Come on.” 

An blinked but she followed Hari up the stairs passing a curious looking Ryoma who was on his way down the stairs. 

“Hari?” Ryoma called. 

“Later, Ryo-chan,” Hari said without looking at him. 

An waved over her shoulder at a bewildered looking Ryoma. Hari pulled her into her room and closed the door behind them with a sharp click. 

An looked around the room and her eyes glanced over the bookshelves and the bed before landing on the desk and the flowers on the desk. 

“Nice flowers,” An said. 

“I know,” Hari said sounding stressed. “I have to figure out what they mean.” 

An blinked. 

“What they mean?” she repeated. 

“Hai,” Hari said. “Before tomorrow. He’s waiting for an answer and I have to figure out what the flowers are trying to say.” 

An looked at her confused and then looked at the flowers. 

“The flowers are trying to say something?” she asked. 

Hari looked at her and then at the flowers before she looked back at An. 

“Ie,” she said. “Well, yes. But, no. He’s trying to say something and used flowers to say it and now I have to try to figure out what they mean.” 

An still felt confused. 

“A boy?” she smiled. “A boy gave them to you?” 

“Hai,” Hari said. 

“A boy gave you flowers?” An smiled wider. 

“Hai,” Hari said again. 

An laughed, “and now you’re freaking out trying to figure them out. Kawai ne! So, who is he?” 

Hari flushed and bit her lower lip as she tried to stop the wild movements of what seemed to be butterflies in her stomach. 

“Come on, Hari-chan,” An said impatiently and dragged Hari with her over to the bed and they both sat down on it. “Tell me. Who sent you the flowers? Was it Saeki?” 

“Ie,” Hari shook her head. “It wasn’t him.” 

“Then who? Come on, don’t make me drag it out of you,” An said bouncing a little as she leaned forward. 

Hari looked at her for a moment and she could feel the faint burning in her cheeks telling her that she was blushing. 

“Yukimura Seiichi,” Hari admitted quietly and suddenly it felt even more real. 

An blinked. 

“I’ve heard the name before, but where…” An said thoughtfully. 

“He’s the Captain of Rikkai Dai’s tennis team,” Hari explained.

“Honto?” An said and looked at the flowers again. “And he sent you flowers?” 

“Hai,” Hari nodded. 

“So, do you like him?” An asked. 

Hari blinked and stared at An before she looked away. 

“Um, do you know what flowers mean?” Hari asked changing the subject. 

“Hari-chan,” An whined. “Come on. Tell me.” 

“I don’t know,” Hari said after a pause. “I….” 

An looked at her for a moment before she pushed off the bed and walked over to the flowers. 

“What type of flowers are these?” she asked and Hari looked over at her relieved. 

“I don’t know,” Hari said. “I know the lily, of course. And that’s amaryllis; he pointed the one out for me once when we were at a botanic garden. I don’t know that one or that one…but that’s a daisy, and that’s violets.” 

An nodded and looked at the flowers again. 

“So you know the lily, amaryllis, daisy and violet,” An said, “so that leaves three types you don’t know.” 

“Right,” Hari said. 

“Okay, we can figure it out,” An said. “Wait; did you say a botanic garden?” 

“I went to one here in Tokyo with him once,” Hari said. “He really likes flowers and gardening, and it was fun.” 

An stared at her and Hari was getting a little uncomfortable. 

“What?” Hari asked. 

“I didn’t know you were already dating him,” An said. 

“What? I’m not dating him,” Hari said. An raised a brow sceptically. “I’m not!” 

“If you say so,” An said in a voice that clearly said she didn’t believe her and Hari frowned at her. 

 

Hari managed to borrow a laptop from Ryoga who had given her a curious look when she asked but he hadn’t asked anything so Hari counted it as a win. She just hoped he wouldn’t start asking later. At least not in front of Nanjiro. 

They spent the next hour searching for flowers and the meaning of flowers on the internet. There was a lot of information about flowers and their meaning so Hari read and read and read about it. 

“Okay,” Hari said having written down the list of flowers and their meaning. She couldn’t help but stare at it and read it over and over again. 

_Amaryllis – pride, determination_

_Bluebell – humility, kindness_

_Chrysanthemum – cheerfulness_

_Daisy – Innocence, hope_

_Lily, calla – beauty_

_Morning glory – affection_

_Violet – loyalty, devotion, faithfulness_

Her eyes read the words over and over and she couldn’t stop reading them. Just what was he trying to say? Words like hope, beauty, affection… devotion, and so many more. They were wonderful words and they filled her with warmth and made her feel…something. 

“Wow,” An said looking over her shoulder and reading the list. “That’s some statement.” 

Hari looked up at her and felt a rush of desperation go through her. 

“What does he mean?” she asked. “What does he mean?!” 

An blinked. 

“He likes you,” An said bluntly. 

“He…what?” Hari asked almost incredulously. “No, he…can’t.” 

“Well, the flowers says he does,” An said. “The morning glory, for example, says he has affection for you and the lily says he finds you beautiful. The bluebell says he finds you humble and kind. The Daisy says that he has hope for the two of you. I could go on, but I think the flowers say it clear enough.” 

Hari sat back on her chair and stared at the flowers. She had stared at them so long that she knew she would always be able to remember them. 

“But…nande?” she whispered. 

Why would he like her? How could he? She was not good enough. She wasn’t worthy of someone like him, he was so kind and gentle and, and…and perfect. So he was completely out of her reach. 

“Nande?” An looked at her. “Why not? You’re beautiful and funny, and kind. He would be lucky to have someone like you liking him back and he has clearly seen that.” 

Hari just shook her head. 

“But…what if we have interpreted the flowers wrong?” Hari asked after a long pause. “What if that’s not what he wanted to say?” 

An took one of Hari’s hand in hers and squeezed it. 

“We didn’t interpret the flowers wrong;” An said surely. “We double checked, and then triple checked them with different sources. That is the meaning of these flowers and he really does like you, Hari-chan.” 

Hari bit down on her lower lip to stop the other protests threatening to come out of her mouth and tried to smile back at An who was looking slightly worried at her. 

“Okay,” she whispered. 

“So, do you like him?” An asked curiously. 

Hari felt like someone had hit her over the head because she felt like she was spinning as she remembered the way he smiled and made her feel flustered, he had the ability to make her feel like she was forgetting what she was about to say. And the way he kissed her hand… 

Oh my. She did like him. 

She really liked him. 

She had been so blind. She had not recognised it, but it was obvious now that she thought about it. She thought about him constantly and wanted to talk to him, she even looked for reasons to call him. She hoped he was coming to Tokyo so that she could see him. 

“I do,” she whispered. “I like him.” 

An giggled as she pulled Hari up and into a hug. 

“I knew it!” She giggled as she hugged her. “I knew it!” 

Hari just hugged her back not able to really say anything as the realisation hit her. 

She liked Yukimura Seiichi and he liked her. Possibly. Maybe. Probably? 

 

The night was spent tossing and turning in her bed as she went over everything from her time spent with Seiichi and she couldn’t help but analyse everything. He must think she was strange and weird. How could he, the Captain of Rikkai Dai(!), like her? 

Hari jerked up in the bed and remained seated as she tried to figure out where that loud obnoxious sound came from before she realised that it was the alarm. She groaned as she reached out to shut it up and fell back on the bed staring up at the ceiling in the barely lit room. 

She had only fallen asleep in the early morning, meaning that she had not slept much at all during the night. And not enough with that she had dreamt about her aunt and uncle. Them telling her that she was just an unwanted burden and always messed everything up. She ruined everything and put others in danger. 

So what could anyone possibly see in her? 

An’s words from the day before came back and she wished that they were true. That she really was beautiful and funny and that Seiichi liked her because of that. That he saw something in her that made him think she was worth liking. 

“Hari-chan! You up yet?” she heard Nanako’s voice from outside the room. “You have to get up soon in order to have breakfast before school.” 

Hari sighed and pushed herself up again and threw her legs over the edge of the bed. 

“I’m up,” she called back and heard Nanako walk away. 

Just then Hedwig came flying in through the opened window and came directly over to her and settled on the arm Hari held out. 

“Hey, Hedwig,” Hari smiled and stroked her feathers with her free hand. “You think Seiichi really likes me? That he could?” 

Hedwig hooted softly and nibbled affectionately at her making her smile slightly. 

After a quick shower and getting ready for the day she went downstairs and into the kitchen. 

“Ohayo, Hari-chan,” Rinko smiled.

“Morning, Okaa-chan,” Hari said quietly. 

“Are you okay?” Rinko asked worriedly. “You’re pretty late this morning.” 

Hari shrugged and grabbed a toast. 

“I just didn’t sleep that well,” Hari said. 

“Are you sick?” Rinko asked and reached over to feel her forehead. 

Hari blinked and shook her head but smiled slightly at the care shown. It pushed away some of the darker thoughts that had crept in during the night. 

“I’m fine,” she said. 

“Alright,” Rinko still frowned slightly. “I still think you look rather pale.” 

Hari took a bit of the toast and looked around and noticed that Ryoma wasn’t there. 

“Where’s Ryo-chan?” she asked. 

“He has already eaten and went upstairs to check on Karupin,” Rinko said. 

Hari nodded and finished her toast and glass of milk. 

“Okaa-chan,” Hari finally said and bit down at her lip while clenching her hands together. 

Rinko smiled and looked at her. 

“Yes, sweetie?” she asked. 

Hari hesitated before she shook her head and got up. 

“No, it was nothing,” she said. “I should go or I’ll be late.” 

Rinko looked a little worried but nodded and pressed a kiss on her forehead as she passed her. 

“Okay, have a nice day,” Rinko said. 

 

Seiichi was nervous. 

He couldn’t sit still during breakfast and his mind went over his plans and he couldn’t help but wonder if she would show up or not. Would she figure out what the flowers meant? 

Yes, he really did believe that she would do that. If she wanted to. Did she want to? 

He frowned slightly. He was thinking too much. It wasn’t normal for him to do that. Well, he loved to think and figure things out but he would observe and analyse from a distance. It was part of what made him a good tennis player and a good captain. But with Hari… he wanted to figure her out, but he didn’t want to sit back and do it. He wanted to talk to her and be around her. And every time he thought he had her figured out, she did something that had him confused again. 

He loved it. She was such a weird and amazing girl and he hadn’t even noticed when he started to like her before he already did. Maybe it even was that first conversation on the bus when he first met her and she talked out loud to herself. He had thought she was interesting then and hoped he would run into her again.

Then he had seen her at the train station back home and he hadn’t been able to really believe that she was really there and they talked. He talked more than he normally would and he didn’t even realise it until he was on his own later that night and thought back at their meeting. 

He had asked her to meet him the next day then and had said it wasn’t a date. But he had wanted it to be a date. He had kept seeking her out, calling her and thinking about her and before he knew it he was in deep. 

To be honest with himself he did think that the last few times they had met, the walks by the river, had been dates. In his mind, they had been and he really wished that it was true. He knew she didn’t think of it as dates and that she thought they were just friends that were hanging out. 

But he would change that. He would make it clear for her that he liked her and that he wanted her to be his girlfriend. 

“Seiichi-nii-chan?” Minoru looked at him curiously. 

“Ah, hey, Minoru-chan,” Seiichi smiled. 

“What are you doing?” Minoru asked. 

“I’m trying to plan a date,” Seiichi said honestly. 

“A date?” Minoru asked with a smile. “With Hari-chan?” 

“Hai,” Seiichi nodded. 

“About time,” Minoru grinned and sat down. “Can I help?” 

Seiichi blinked and looked at his cousin. 

“You want to help?” Seiichi asked. 

“Mochiron,” Minoru nodded. “I like Hari-chan.” 

“You do, do you?” Seiichi leaned back in his seat at the guest room he was using during his visit. “Well, I guess you can help me if you want.” 

Minoru beamed. 

“What do you need me to do?” he asked. 

 

Momoshiro watched Hari who was not paying attention in class and was staring out of the window looking distracted. Her head was resting in the palm of her hand and her other hand was doodling at her notebook. 

He wondered what she was thinking about. Normally she would take notes and share them with him after class, but now…she wasn’t. He couldn’t help but watch her with a curious look. 

The teacher either didn’t notice or didn’t care as he went on with his lecture without commenting on Hari’s distraction and Momoshiro was getting more and more curious. 

When the teacher finally ended the class and the others got up talking and laughing Momoshiro stood and looked over at Hari again to find her still staring out of the window not showing any sign of moving or that she knew that the class was over. 

Momoshiro looked over and saw that Kaido also was watching Hari before he looked back at him and they exchanged a puzzled look. 

“Hey, Hari-chan!” Momoshiro called loudly walking over to her and nudged her making her startle and look around before looking up at him. 

“Ah, Momo-chan,” she said. “What?” 

“The class is over,” Momoshiro said and exchanged another look with Kaido. 

Hari looked around and frowned. 

“Oh,” she said and started to gather her book. 

“What has you so distracted, Hari-chan?” Momoshiro asked. 

“Nanimonai,” she said without looking at him. 

“Nothing?” Momoshiro repeated incredulously. “You haven’t paid attention to any of the classes today.” 

Hari just shrugged and pushed the last book into her bag and picked it up and threw it over her shoulder. 

“Come on, Hari-chan,” Momoshiro whined. “Tell me.” 

“It’s nothing,” Hari said, “I’m just tired.” 

Momoshiro pouted at her but she ignored it. 

 

The tennis practice felt like it lasted forever and went by way to fast at the same time for Hari. She knew the others were watching her and that Momoshiro had told them about her odd behaviour during class today, but she ignored them because she didn’t have the extra energy to be upset or concerned about them now. She was nervous enough before seeing Seiichi again and finding out if he really meant what she thought, hoped, he meant with the flowers. 

When Tezuka ended the practice Hari didn’t linger to talk to anyone but went to change and get ready for meeting Seiichi. She had brought a change of clothes so she didn’t have to wear her school uniform something she was very pleased about. 

She used longer than normal to get ready going back and forth on what to do with her hair and almost wishing that she had make-up to put on before she shook her head and walked out. She was not going to be one of the girls who spent hours putting on make-up because of a boy. 

Hari was pleased and relieved to see that the others had already left when she exited her changing room. She really didn’t want to answer questions and see their speculative looks. 

She walked out of the gates and was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn’t notice the person standing by the gates until he spoke. 

“Hari-chan.” 

Hari jumped and turned to see Minoru standing there with a smile. 

“Minoru-chan,” Hari said confused. “Um. What are you doing here?” 

“I’m here to escort you to Seiichi-nii-chan,” Minoru said importantly. 

“You are?” Hari asked. 

“Yes, he said that if I didn’t then it was almost certain that you would get lost and then use too long until you came,” Minoru said. 

Hari scoffed but smiled slightly. 

“Really now,” she said and looked at Minoru. “Then I guess you should lead the way, then.” 

“So, you’re coming?” Minoru asked eagerly. “You’re really going to go and meet Seiichi-nii-chan?” 

Hari knew she was blushing but she tried to ignore it as she nodded. 

Minoru beamed making Hari feel a little better and calmer than before. She walked beside the younger boy and listened to him chat away as they made their way to the botanic garden. Hari allowed the chatter from Minoru to keep her calm and distracted. Or as calm and distracted as she could be under the circumstances. 

She really couldn’t believe that she would get so worked up and nervous because of a boy. It just hadn’t occurred to her that she would be. But then again, she hadn’t really liked many boys before. So she had not much to go on thinking that. 

“This is as far as I will go,” Minoru finally said and stopped. 

Hari realised that they had arrived and looked around. They were just before a bend in a path and there were trees around them and a lake to the right and she remembered seeing that last time she had been here. But she could not see Seiichi. 

“Okay,” Hari said. “But where’s Sei-chan?” 

“He’s that way,” Minoru said nodding forward. “Just follow the path and you’ll see him.” 

So he trusts her to manage that, did he? She thought dryly. 

“Okay,” Hari said again. “Well, thank you for showing me the way, Minoru-chan.” 

“No problem!” Minoru grinned turning to walk back the way they came before he hesitated and turned to look at her again. “I’m really happy you came to talk to Seiichi-nii-chan. He was really nervous about you showing up or not.” 

With that Minoru turned and ran away leaving a bemused Hari behind. 

 

Hari stood still for a minute and let the worries she felt run through her mind. If she walked further she would be faced with Seiichi and she would know. She would know if he liked her or if she had misunderstood and found that he just wanted to congratulate her on her first match. That he only saw her as a friend. That would hurt, but it was to be expected because she really wasn’t someone others liked like that. 

So…should she turn around and leave? She could… There was still time, but… 

Oh, this was getting ridiculous! She was a Gryffindor even if she wasn’t at Hogwarts anymore and that meant that she would face whatever was around the bend in the path and she would do it with her head held high. She would not listen to that little voice in her head that told her that she was not worth it and that she was never going to be happy. 

Inhaling deeply she forced herself to calm down before she started to walk and soon she rounded the bend in the path and stopped abruptly. She couldn’t help but stare as she saw the scene in front of her. 

Underneath a tree was a blanket spread out over the grass and a basket was placed in a corner of the blanket and she was sure she saw some glasses there as well but what caught her attention the most was Seiichi. He was standing there watching her with a small smile that told a whole story on its own, relief and something more that she wasn’t sure she read correctly but it had her blushing. 

She forced her legs to move again and started to walk over to him and felt really self-conscious as she did so. The butterflies in her stomach were fluttering around like crazy and she felt the palm of her hands getting sweaty and she resisted the urge to rub them against her thigs to dry them. 

“Hey,” he said softly when she reached him. 

“Hey,” she answered in the same tone. 

They stared at each other for a long moment. Hari could not have said how long she was lost in those violet-blue eyes and she didn’t really think she had appreciated just how unique that mix of colours of eyes was before. 

Finally, he smiled and stepped aside. 

“Please, sit down,” he said formally and a little stiffly. 

“Okay,” she smiled and sat down and was pleased when he sat down close beside her. She could feel the warmth coming from him as he sat beside her. 

She was not sure what to say or how to break the silence between them and she had the feeling that he was just as nervous as her and that somehow calmed her down. 

But he was the one who had asked her to come… so why didn’t he say anything? Was he regretting it? Maybe he was wishing that he hadn’t sent her the flowers… 

She inhaled and pushed the whispers of doubt out of her mind (again) as she tried to find her voice barely aware of her hands fiddling with the hem of her shirt as she did so. She looked over at him and saw that he was still watching her and his eyes had this intensity to them that she hadn’t seen before. 

“Um,” she swallowed, “I…uh…I liked the flowers. Thank you.” 

Baka, she thought, she couldn’t even say it without stuttering like an idiot? 

“You did?” he asked quietly and she heard the nervous tone in his voice now. “Did you figure out what they meant?” 

She felt her cheeks burn and forced herself to look at him and meet his eyes. 

“I…I think so,” she whispered. “I found some meanings for them and I checked them several times, so…I think I found the right meaning.” 

Seiichi smiled slightly and adjusted a little so he was slightly more turned toward her and could more easily look at her. 

“And…you still came,” he said. 

“I…I did,” she nodded. 

They looked at each other again and Seiichi wondered if Hari was aware that she was chewing on her lower lip as she stared at him and thought that she looked adorable even if she was nervous or maybe it was because she was nervous that she looked so adorable? 

“I meant it,” he said breaking the silence. “I like you, Hari-chan. I wanted to show you and prove it to you that I’m serious about you and what I feel.” 

Hari inhaled sharply as she heard the words from him and confirming what she thought he was trying to say. What An had been so sure that he was trying to say. 

Her heart beat faster and she was almost worried it would beat itself out of her chest, but she couldn’t focus on that as she tried to process the words he had said. He liked her. He liked _her_. 

Happiness. She felt an overwhelming sense of happiness burst through her as she thought it. He liked her. He liked her. 

Then the doubt came rushing back like a tidal wave and threatened to crush the happiness she felt. Why? Why? The little voice whispered louder and louder in her ear. Why would he like her? 

“Why?” The question blurted out before she could stop it and she looked up at him with wide eyes and he frowned slightly. 

“Why?” he asked sounding confused. 

“Why do you like me?” she asked. 

“I thought you said you had figured out what the flowers said,” he said making her glance up at him. 

“I did,” she said, “but…” 

He smiled kindly and reached out and tilted her head up. 

“I like you because you are special,” he said, “you are kind and humble like the bluebell symbolise. I love how much pride you show in your tennis and how determined you are in improving yourself, like the amaryllis. You are the most cheerful person I know just like the chrysanthemum, and it’s infectious and I always become in a better mood by spending time with you. The daisy is for the hope I have for us, the hope I have for your liking me as well and the innocence I sense around you even as I know that you have been through something terrible. I chose the lily because you said it was your favourite flower and it also represents your beauty. The morning glory is for the affection I already feel for you and it has grown so fast that it even scares me sometimes. Finally, the violet symbolises the loyalty you have to your family and friends, and the loyalty I feel to you. It’s also for the devotion I feel for you and the promise of faithfulness, I will never betray you in any form, Hari-chan.” 

As he spoke she felt the doubt inside of her being pushed away and the walls she built up being torn away one by one as his words washed over her. She couldn’t help but stare at him with wide eyes as happiness, elation filled her again and there was nothing she could do about the smile that stretched on her face. 

“Wow,” she said quietly when he finished. “I… No one has ever said anything like that to me before.” 

His hand grabbed hers and squeezed it almost painfully. 

“Hari-chan,” he said quieter now. “Please. Tell me your answer. I have to know…” 

Hari swallowed and knew tears were in her eyes as she looked at him. 

“I like you too,” she said and was surprised that her voice didn’t shake and was quite steady and firm. 

His smile was wide and relieved and she blushed as he raised her hand and pressed a kiss to the back of her hand before he moved his hand to the side of her face, cupping it in his hand as he stared into her eyes and she realised suddenly that he was close. Really close. 

“May I kiss you?” he whispered.

She felt her eyes widen slightly before she nodded unable to form words. But luckily he didn’t need words because he leaned forward and she felt the soft pressure of his warm and slightly chapped lips against hers. 

Before she wanted him to, he pulled back and smiled a small and happy smile that she had not seen on his face before. He used the hand that was still resting against her cheek to push her hair away from her face and behind her ear and she felt the path his fingers took tingle pleasantly. 

“I’m so happy to hear that,” he finally said quietly. 

She smiled back and tried to catch her breath again as she felt her lips tingle by the soft kiss. Her first kiss. It had been chaste, but perfect. It was a perfect first kiss and she couldn’t keep the smile off her face or the blush away from her cheeks. But she didn’t care. 

 

“Woah,” she said when he pulled out food from the basket and started to spread it on the blanket in front of them. “You really are prepared.” 

“I guess I am,” he smiled and glanced over at her. 

She watched him work in silence and couldn’t help but the smile that was on her face or the fact that her heart beat a little harder than normal but she didn’t mind. 

“I got our food from that restaurant we went to,” Seiichi said, “you know, with that old married couple.” 

“Really? Great! I loved their food!” Hari smiled. 

“I know you did,” Seiichi said. 

Hari smiled again and looked at the food. He had really gotten the food from them because he knew she loved it. 

“So, you had Minoru-chan come and pick me up from school,” Hari said after they had started to eat. 

“He wanted to help and I thought it was more likely that you got here without getting lost that way,” Seiichi said. 

“I don’t get lost all the time,” she pouted and Seiichi laughed. 

“Sure,” he said. “Well, he helped to get this ready and he wanted to see you as well, so it worked out fine with him going to pick you up.” 

Hari looked at him and nodded. She wasn’t really upset. 

As the meal went on the talk came more easily and Hari relaxed more and forgot to be nervous as he told her a story about his team. 

 

Hari laughed and Seiichi couldn’t help but notice the way her eyes seemed to shine and how her face lit up. It made him smile as well and he never wanted her to stop looking like that. Happy and smiling because of him. 

“It’s getting late,” he said and glanced at the clock. “The botanic garden closes soon.” 

“Ah, that’s too bad,” Hari said and looked around. “I guess we should pack up then.” 

Seiichi nodded and let go of her hand reluctantly so he could start to gather the things and put them back into the basket. 

“Oh, you don’t have to do that,” he said when Hari helped. 

“Nonsense,” Hari said. “Of course, I’ll help.” 

Together they packed up and folded the blanket together. She blinked when he just let it stay on the ground though. 

“Minoru-chan will get it,” he said. “He said he’d take it back.” 

“He hasn’t been hanging around here just waiting, has he?” Hari asked looking around like she was expecting to see the younger boy hidden behind a bush or a tree. 

“No,” Seiichi laughed. “I’ll text him and say it’s clear. He has been meeting some friends close by.” 

“Good,” Hari said and blushed as Seiichi offered his arm to her but she smiled as she accepted it linking her arm through his. 

They walked in silence for a while and all Hari could think was that Seiichi was right next to her and that his arm was linked with hers. 

 

“Thank you for coming today,” Seiichi said when they reached her house and they paused outside the gate. Hari smiled shyly up at him and felt herself blush for the millionth time today but she did her best to ignore it. 

“I feel like I’m the one who should be thanking you,” Hari said. “For doing all this…the flowers, the picnic, the food… everything. It was perfect, Sei-chan.” 

He smiled and stepped closer to her and reached out so he was now holding both her hands in his and squeezed them lightly. 

“You deserve it,” he said. 

They stared at each other for a moment longer and Hari felt her heart beat faster in her chest and she worried that he would hear it. 

“Hari,” his voice was quiet and more serious now. 

“Yeah?” she said breathlessly. 

“Will you be my girlfriend?” he asked.

“Yes,” Hari said right away and smiled at him. “I will.” 

He smiled that special little smile of his that she had dubbed her smile and when he leaned closer she was ready and closed her eyes just as his lips were against hers for the second time and her mind went pleasantly blank as she returned the kiss. 

He pulled back and again he reached out and pushed a strand of her hair back from her face and behind her ear letting his finger trace down her face and to her shoulder as he did so before he pulled away completely. 

“I’ll call you tomorrow,” he promised and she could only nod. 

She watched him walk away and raised a hand to her lips that were tingling slightly and still felt warm from their kiss. She sighed softly as she smiled. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what do you think? :)
> 
> What do you think about the flowers? I found the meaning of the flowers on the internet. I do not know very much about flowers and their language so I have relied on the information I found on the internet. But from what I can tell, the meaning I found is the correct ones. I found the same on several sites so it should have some truth to it. :) 
> 
> Thank you for reading and supporting this story XD 
> 
> Japanese words used:  
> Hai - Yes  
> Ie - No  
> Kawai ne - That's so cute  
> Honto - Really  
> Nande - Why  
> Okaa-chan - Mom  
> Ohayo - Good morning  
> Mochiron - Of course  
> Nanimonai - Nothing  
> Baka - Idiot


	29. Suspicious

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Ryoga stood hidden by the shadow of the garage just inside the gates, which he could see over, and stared at the girl who had so quickly become his little sister and the boy. The boy, who was way too close to her, was smiling at her like they were sharing a secret. 

Ryoga couldn’t see her face but he bet she was smiling back at him. They seemed to be completely lost in their own world and he wondered if he were to move; would they notice him or not? He really hadn’t planned on spying on her. He just happened to be on his way out with the trash when he noticed Hari and the boy. 

He had stepped into the shadows when he realised that it was Hari because he didn’t want to embarrass her…and he was curious. Okay, mostly curious. He would admit that. He knew she was hiding something from them or more likely from Nanjiro. He completely understood why. 

He couldn’t hear what they were saying unfortunately and he didn’t dare to move closer. But he blinked when the boy (whom he suddenly felt a rash need to rip away from his little sister and continue to beat up) leaned forward and kissed her. He _kissed_ Hari. 

Ryoga frowned because from where he stood it didn’t look like Hari was trying to push him away at all. Ryoga would have been ready to step in if she had but she didn’t so Ryoga remained standing where he was despite the instinct to rush in and push the boy away. 

Who was this boy? Who was this tall and mysterious boy who dared to kiss Hari and then push her hair away from her face with such gentle hands? Well, at least he was gentle. But that wasn’t the point! The point was: WHO WAS HE? 

The boy (wow that word started to sound like the enemy the more he said it) smiled once more and turned before he walked away. Hari remained standing where she was watching him and when he reached the corner he turned and waved at her. She waved back. 

Ryoga stared at Hari who still hadn’t moved from the spot only raised her hand to touch her lips. He stepped out of the shadows and opened the gate making Hari spin around wide-eyed as she stared at him. 

He could see the shock and then the panic in her eyes as she clearly wondered just what he had seen. He briefly wondered if he should pretend he hadn’t seen anything but then decided against it. 

“So, who’s the guy?” Ryoga asked with a smirk. 

“You were spying on me?” Hari demanded as her shocked slash panicked expression turned into a scowl. 

“You can’t call it spying when you’re kissing random guys on the front steps,” Ryoga smirked as she blushed. “Anyone could be walking out of the door at any moment. It’s not my fault that you were here kissing someone where anyone could see.” 

Hari huffed and pushed her way past him mentally scolding herself before she wondered why she cared. She wasn’t going to hide Seiichi. Was she? 

No, she wasn’t. 

But… 

She grimaced. She could only imagine Nanjiro’s reaction to her having a boyfriend. That was not going to be pretty and she really didn’t want to deal with it… 

 

She walked up the stairs and into her room before closing the door behind her. She put her bag down and sighed when she heard the door open behind her. 

“You didn’t think that you could avoid answering my questions by going to your room, did you?” Ryoga asked. 

“I don’t see why I have to answer you, nii-chan,” Hari said without looking at him. “It’s not any of your business.” 

Ryoga was silent for a moment. 

“I guess that’s right;” Ryoga said. 

Hari could hardly believe it. Was he giving in so easily? 

“I guess I could ask Oyaji,” Ryoga mused. 

Of course not. She deflated. She should have known. 

“Don’t,” Hari said and turned to look at him. 

Ryoga was still smirking as he looked at her and she had no idea what he was thinking. Unlike his father and brother, he was still a mystery to her. She couldn’t just look at him and know what he was thinking. It annoyed her. 

“Close the door,” she said and sighed. 

The grin he gave her proved that he just considered this a win and that he had gotten her to do what he wanted. But he did close the door and sat down on the bed looking at her expectantly. 

“Well?” he said when she didn’t say anything. “Who was he?” 

“Yukimura Seiichi,” Hari said. 

“And where did you meet this Yukimura Seiichi?” Ryoga asked. 

Hari sighed as she explained where she had met him and Ryoga snorted. 

“Of course you met him while getting lost,” he said. 

“I wasn’t lost the first time I met him,” Hari pouted. 

“Sure,” Ryoga said. “So, you’ve spent time with him?” 

“Hai,” Hari admitted turning toward Hedwig who was sleeping in her cage. <&o>

“And how long have you been dating him?” Ryoga asked. 

Hari withheld a sigh and knew she was blushing. 

“It was the first date today,” Hari said. “He sent me those flowers yesterday and asked me out.” 

Ryoga looked at the flowers and arched a brow. 

“A 14-year-old boy sent you flowers?” Ryoga asked. “That’s not something boy’s that age normally do.” 

“He enjoys gardening and flowers,” Hari said smiling softly. “It was romantic.” 

He could learn something from this boy it would seem, Ryoga thought as he watched the soft smile on Hari’s face. 

“You know you can’t hide the fact that you have a boyfriend from Oyaji,” Ryoga said. 

“I’m not going to hide it,” Hari protested, “I just want to get used to the idea and enjoy it before he gets all overdramatic about it all.” 

Ryoga laughed making her glare at him and toss a book at him but he dodged it still laughing. 

“That will be a show,” he said. “Matenai.” 

Hari rolled her eyes at him and sat down on the office chair. 

“Glad you’re amused,” she said. 

He looked at her for a moment and his smile softened. 

“You know, he only does that because he cares about you,” Ryoga said. “That’s why he wants to protect you.” 

“I still can take care of myself,” Hari said. 

“Sure you can,” Ryoga agreed. “And he knows that…deep down, at least.” 

Hari nodded and smiled a little. She did know that Nanjiro knew that and that he cared about her, he probably cared more than anyone else she’d met. 

“I’ll tell him,” Hari said. “But not right now. I just want to enjoy it a little before I do and wait until Sei-chan is out of Tokyo.” 

The last part was added dryly and Ryoga nodded amusedly. 

“Sounds like a good idea,” Ryoga said. 

“Arigatou,” Hari said. 

Ryoga got up and walked over to her and put a hand on her head. She blinked as she looked up at him seeing the soft smile on his face as he looked back at her. 

“Are you happy, Hari-chan?” he asked quietly. “He treated you alright? He didn’t force a kiss on you or anything?” 

Hari blushed but smiled all the same.

“I’m happy,” she said shyly. “I really am, Ryoga-nii-chan. He…he’s perfect.” 

Ryoga looked at her for a moment longer with an unreadable look on his face before he smiled and ruffled her hair. 

“Good,” he said before turning to walk out of the room. 

 

Hari was still smiling when she arrived at school the next day pretending that she didn’t notice Ryoma and Momoshiro’s suspicious glances or their whispered conversations. She was too happy to care about them right now. 

She waved goodbye to Ryoma and headed toward her classroom with Momoshiro beside her and she noticed that he didn’t chatter on like he normally did but was watching her with a strange look on his face. 

“Something wrong, Momo-chan?” she finally asked. 

“No, nothing,” Momoshiro said. 

Hari shrugged and noticed Sora and Hira in front of them so she called out for them and they stopped and turned to look at her. 

“Hari-chan!” Sora smiled. “You look happy.” 

Hari laughed and linked arms with the other girl. 

“I guess I am,” she said. “So, what’s up with you?” 

“Nothing much,” Sora shrugged, “I was trying to convince Hira to give the Lord of the Rings book a try and not just watch the movies.” 

“I don’t want to read them,” Hira groaned. “They’re too long.” 

“So are the movies!” Sora protested. “But you could get so much more out of the story by reading it…” 

Hari shook her head as she listened with half an ear to their bickering about reading or not reading the books as she wondered if Seiichi would call her while she was at school or if he would wait until later. He would probably wait, but she really wished he would call soon because she wanted to talk with him… 

“Hari-chan? Earth to Hari-chan?” 

Hari blinked and saw Sora, Hira and Momoshiro stare at her while Sora waved a hand in front of her face. 

“Oh. Gomen,” Hari smiled sheepishly. “Did I miss something?” 

“Just the classroom,” Hira rolled his eyes. 

“Yeah, you walked right past it,” Momoshiro said. “What’s with you lately, Hari-chan? You’re really distracted.” 

Hari shrugged and walked into the classroom. 

 

“So, how’s our Hari-chan today?” Kikumaru asked as soon as he saw Momoshiro during lunch. “And where is she?” 

Momoshiro sat down at the lawn beside Ryoma who looked up and also looked around for Hari. 

“She said she would meet us here,” Kaido said before he hissed something. 

“And how is she today?” Oishi asked worriedly. “Is she distracted today as well? I hope she’s alright and that she’s not getting sick or something.” 

Ryoma sighed as he leaned back against the tree again once he realised that Hari wasn’t there. He glanced over at Momoshiro. 

“She’s distracted but she seems happy,” Momoshiro said. “She smiles at nothing and I saw her doodle in her notebook with a smile on her face.” 

The others looked pensive at this and glanced at each other like someone might have an idea and sudden inspiration. Only Tezuka seemed to be unconcerned by the mystery of the happy Hari. Fuji was smiling and looked more puzzled than concerned. It looked like he had an idea of what was going on. 

“Fujiko-chan?” Kawamura asked having spotted this as well. “Do you have any ideas?” 

Fuji gave his signature smile. 

“Saa,” he said. 

“Come on, Fujiko-chan,” Kikumaru whined and attached himself to Fuji’s arm. “Tell us…” 

“Yeah,” Ryoma narrowed his eyes. “Tell us.” 

Fuji looked over at Ryoma and smiled. 

“Well, I would think it is obvious,” Fuji said. 

Kikumaru let out a loud wail and started to shake Fuji who just smiled that calm and eye-closed smile of his. 

“You know! You know! So tell us!” Kikumaru yelled. “What if Hari-chan needs help?” 

“She doesn’t,” Fuji smiled seemingly unbothered by being shaken by Kikumaru. 

Kikumaru let go and pouted. 

Ryoma narrowed his eyes as he looked at Fuji. He huffed. He knew something was up with Hari. She had been…happy and giggling. That was not his sister. Well, he didn’t mind that she was happy. He always wanted her to be happy, but… why? What was it that made her so happy? So happy that she would giggle and blush by just looking at the gates in front of their house? That didn’t make any sense. 

“Besides, didn’t you follow her yesterday?” Fuji asked innocently. He knew that Kikumaru, Oishi (dragged along by Kikumaru), Momoshiro and a reluctant Kaido (Momoshiro had dragged him with them) along with Ryoma had decided to follow Hari the day before to see if she went anywhere after school since she was so distracted. Fuji would have joined them (just to laugh and have something to tease them with) but he couldn’t because Yuta was coming home and he had promised to see him. 

Tezuka frowned slightly as he listened but didn’t say anything.

“We tried,” Kikumaru pouted even more. “But she just disappeared and we couldn’t find her after practice.” 

Fuji arched a brow. 

“And you saw no one around the school? Like someone had come to pick her up or something?” he asked. 

“No,” Momoshiro said sadly. 

“Well, there was that kid,” Kikumaru said. “You know the one with the dark-blueish hair?” 

“A kid?” Fuji looked interested. 

“Yeah, well, he was just a kid, wasn’t he?” Momoshiro asked looking confused. 

“Saa,” Fuji hummed and smiled again. 

Kikumaru looked at Fuji confused but before he could ask they spotted Hari leaving the school building and coming toward them but she wasn’t looking up at them but down at her phone and it looked like she was texting or something. 

 

Hari was well aware that Momoshiro and Kaido were suspicious about her but she didn’t pay them any attention and when the lunch bell rang she pulled out her phone (she had been dying to do so all through her class) and saw that she had received a text from Seiichi. She smiled and felt like giggling but bit down on her tongue to stop herself. 

She told Momoshiro and Kaido that she would meet them at the usual spot where they had lunch later before she left the classroom before waiting for their response. She was already reading the text. 

_Hey! So, I know you have school but I just couldn’t wait until I texted you. How are you, Hari-chan? Any regrets about yesterday? Seiichi._

She smiled as she hurriedly texted him back. 

_Hey! I’m glad you texted. I’m fine. Happy. And I have no regrets about yesterday. You? Hari._

She stopped by a window overlooking the yard in front of the school and the spot where the regulars and sometimes also the first years from the tennis club would meet for lunch. She saw them now gathering around. 

_I’m happy to hear it. I was thinking that I might have pushed too fast. But glad that’s not the case. I have no regrets either. I’m very happy you agreed to be my girl. What are you doing right now?_

Hari stepped a little to the side to allow some girls to get past her as she looked out of the window again. 

_It’s lunch. I’m soon on my way to join the rest of the team for lunch, but right now I’m watching Kikumaru-sempai manhandle Shu-chan for some reason. What about you?_

Hari did wonder what had Kikumaru shake Fuji like that, well, she guessed everyone felt the need to shake Fuji from time to time. He had probably teased him or something. 

_Poor Fuji. You should go and eat before the lunch hour is over. You need to eat. We can talk more later. I’m packing my things. I have to go back today. I can’t lose more school._

Hari sighed sadly. She didn’t want him to go back home today. She wanted to see him again and again. Why did he have to live so far away? 

_Alright. When are you leaving today? Could I see you before you leave?_

She was already walking down the stairs so she could go and meet the others. She was just exiting through the front doors of the school when another text came. 

_I would love to see you once more before I leave. You could come and see me off? We could meet at the park where I met you that first time? Nearby your school?_

Hari couldn’t help the smile that spread on her lips reading this or the burst of excitement that hit her. She could see him again! 

_Great! I’ll meet you there after school. Around four?_

She put the phone away when she reached her friends and paused when she felt everyone looking at her. She hid a sigh as she realised that she would be facing questions after questions for the rest of lunch. _Super_. 

 

The rest of the day was more or like the same as the start and Hari was impatient for it to end so she could leave and go and see Seiichi again. But she did foresee a problem because for the rest of the day she would always find one or two of the boys showing up out of nowhere. 

It would be a big and annoying problem and she could feel a twitch start to form just above her eyes. She huffed when she saw Momoshiro and Kikumaru waiting by the school gates and huffed. While she had no plan on hiding Seiichi from anyone it didn’t mean that she was going to tell them right away either. At least not right now, because if she told them where she was going they would insist on coming with her. She would waste too much time trying to talk them out of it and she could not, would not, miss seeing Seiichi because of two clingy suspicious boys, so…

Okay, so maybe climbing the wall wasn’t the best idea, but – hey! She was not going to answer any more of their questions. Lunch had been bad enough. 

She hurried down the streets and actually found the park without getting lost and without meeting anyone from her team. So, that was a win in her book. 

“Hari-chan,” Seiichi smiled getting up from the bench. 

“Hey,” she smiled back before she stopped a little unsure on what to do next. 

Seiichi just smiled and held out his hand but let it hang in the air in front of her until she reached out to take it. He squeezed it before he reached behind him and picked up a bag she hadn’t noticed before now. 

“Did you have a good day at school?” Seiichi asked as they started to walk. 

“It was fine,” Hari said. “But the boys were annoying.” 

“Ah, nande?” 

“I think they might have tried to spy on me yesterday,” Hari scoffed. 

“Spy?” Seiichi asked arching a brow slightly as he glanced over at her. 

“It’s just a feeling I have,” Hari said. “They asked a lot of questions today and looked at me like they tried to figure me out. So annoying.” 

Seiichi shook his head a little but didn’t say anything else. They walked in silence for a little bit and Hari enjoyed the feeling of his warm hand in hers and wondered if it was normal that her stomach was doing flip-flops just because he was so close and holding her hand. 

“Sei-chan,” Hari suddenly said breaking the silence between them. 

“Hai?” Seiichi glanced over at her. 

“Do…do you plan on telling anyone about me?” she asked without looking at him and tried to keep her voice even. 

He paused and since he held her hand she stopped as well. She didn’t move until she felt him reach out and turn her around making her realise that he had let go of her hand but was instead letting his hands rest on her shoulders. 

“I don’t plan on keeping you a secret, if that’s what you’re asking,” Seiichi said kindly. 

“Oh, um, no, I…wasn’t…” Hari stopped feeling flustered. 

“And I want to meet your friends as well,” Seiichi said lifting one hand to push her hair out of her face as another wild strand of hair had escaped. 

“You already know most of them,” Hari said but she felt a little better. 

“I can only really say that I know Tezuka and Fuji,” Seiichi corrected. “The others I have seen but not really interacted with. Besides, I meant that I would like to meet them as your boyfriend.” 

Hari blinked before she smiled. 

“Honto?” she asked. 

“Of course, Hari-chan,” he smiled back. “That’s what being in a relationship means.” 

“You’d even want to meet my crazy family?” Hari asked. 

“Yes,” Seiichi nodded. 

“Well, I don’t know if you ever meeting Otou-chan is a good idea,” Hari said. “He’s taking overprotectiveness into a new level.” 

“I can handle it,” Seiichi laughed. “For you.” 

Hari couldn’t help the rush of emotion going through her or the need to kiss him so she did. She leaned in and for the first time initiated the kiss and allowed herself to stay close and felt his hands on her waist as he pulled her closer. 

The sounds around them faded into nothing as she kissed him and felt him pull her closer and noticed just how warm he was and how strong his arms felt as they held her. 

She was smiling when he pulled back and felt the blush in her cheeks. He reached up and let his fingers trace her cheek and down her neck before he pulled back and took her hand in his again. 

They started to walk once more and this time neither interrupted the comfortable silence between them. Both just enjoying the other’s company. 

 

“I’ll come back as soon as I can,” Seiichi promised. 

They were standing outside the train and Hari didn’t want him to leave. 

“But it still is too long,” Hari pouted but smiled soon after.

“Agreed, but there’s nothing to do,” Seiichi smiled. “And you could come and visit me too, you know.” 

Hari grimaced. 

“I just have to get Okaa-chan and Otou-chan to lift my train probation,” Hari said. “Something Otou-chan is so likely to do when he finds out that it’s to visit my boyfriend.” 

Seiichi chuckled. 

“I don’t see what’s so funny,” Hari said. 

He reached out and pushed her hair back behind her ear making her smile and lean into his touch. 

“You really like doing that,” she commented. 

“I find your hair fascinating,” Seiichi admitted. “It never stays in place.” 

“It’s my dad’s fault,” Hari pouted. 

“I like it,” Seiichi smiled. 

“Well, that’s good, then,” Hari said a little shyly. “But, I’ll try to get Okaa-chan to allow me to use the trains again. She’s the one with common sense and the one who stays calm.” 

“Good,” Seiichi smiled and looked back at the train before looking at her again. “I have to go. I’ll call you.” 

“You better,” Hari said and smiled as Seiichi leaned forward and kissed her cheek quickly before he stepped back and with a last smile stepped onto the train. 

Hari remained standing on the platform until the train was gone and she was standing there on her own. She missed him already. 

 

“Kanto tournament is approaching fast and it’s different from the prefectural,” Ryuzaki told them seriously as they stood gathered in the tennis court. “There will be even more strong players and I would like for us to send out best players as well. That’s why we have another interschool school ranking matches.” 

Hari felt her eyes widen as she realised that she had completely forgotten about the ranking matches that was coming. She had been so absorbed in her own life and Seiichi so she had completely forgotten. But as she listened as Ryuzaki talked and felt a rush of excitement as well as nerves fill her at the thought of the tournament and the idea of being able to play in it. 

“Because we have so many talented players this year,” Ryuzaki continued. “I have decided to make some changes. Normally there are eight regulars. That’s the usual number for most teams, but it’s not the set number. I will this time choose 9 regulars instead of 8.” 

Glances were exchanged and some broke out in whispers at Ryuzaki’s announcement. 

“Quiet,” she ordered and they all fell silent again. “Now, we still have only four blocks. The top two players from each block will be automatically chosen as a regular like normal. But, this time it doesn’t end here. The third places from each block will then play each other in order to decide which one will take the 9th spot as a regular. I decided that the third place from block A and B will play each other and the same with C and D, before the winner of block A or B will play the winner of block C and D. Understand?” 

It sounded simple enough, Hari thought but she wasn’t sure she liked the idea much. But it was the game so she would play. 

“Find out what block you’re in and go to the assigned court,” Ryuzaki ordered. 

 

Hari frowned slightly as she read the list and saw her name in Block D and it was the same block as Kikumaru and Kaido. Both who were really good and she was both excited and curious to see if she could beat them. 

“How are you feeling?” Yoshida asked coming up beside Hari. 

Hari glanced at her and smiled slightly. 

“Saa,” Hari shrugged. “I don’t really know.” 

“You don’t feel confident?” Yoshida asked curiously. 

“I’m confident enough,” Hari said. “Did you help set up the block’s?” 

“Yes, Ryuzaki-sensei asked me for my opinion,” Yoshida said. 

“I see,” Hari smiled. “Good job, Yoshida-san.” 

Hari looked over and saw Arai coming up toward her. 

“You’re my first opponent, Arai-san?” Hari smiled. 

“You bet,” he grinned. “I won’t go easy on you because you’re a girl, Hari-chan.” 

“I would be angry at you if you did,” Hari said with an answering grin. 

 

Without really meaning to, Yoshida drifted over to the court where Hari was playing against Arai. She had been walking between the courts writing notes on her notepad on the players and their games but unconsciously she drifted toward Hari. 

She found a small group of spectators already gathered around the court watching Hari and Arai. She stopped beside the journalists Inoue and Shiba. The latter was taking photos of Hari. 

“She’s really become strong,” Inoue commented. 

“You mean you believe that she can become a regular?” Shiba asked her sempai. “Officially?” 

Yoshida glanced over at the journalist who followed their team so closely and showed up at a lot of their practices. She saw the pondering look on his face as he watched Hari return one of Arai’s serves and taking the point. 

“I think she has a very good chance of becoming a regular,” Inoue finally said. 

“Even if she’s in the same block as Kikumaru and Kaido?” Shiba sounded a little sceptical. 

That was tough, and Yoshida recognised that but she really hoped that Hari would make it. It would prove that girls’ could play tennis seriously as well and maybe make a point to the rest of the girls’ team here because they really needed to get a wake-up call when it came to practising tennis. 

Yoshida had a hope that when they saw the result of Hari’s hard work they would realise that tennis could be fun and rewarding for them as well. 

“It will be tough but not impossible,” Inoue said. “Hari-chan works hard and has talent.” 

“Yes, but…” Shiba frowned. 

“We just have to wait and see what she has to show us,” Inoue said. 

Yoshida inhaled and focused on Hari who was smiling and looked to be having fun. A glance over at Arai showed that he was frowning slightly as he glared over at Hari. 

“She’s in the lead 5-1,” Sakuno said coming up beside Yoshida. 

“Already?” Yoshida asked. 

“Yes,” Sakuno nodded smiling slightly. “She lost the first game and Arai got cocky, but Hari-chan never gives up and, well, she didn’t look to upset by it. She won the next one and has won since.” 

Yoshida blinked but smiled slightly as she realised that Hari was even stronger than she had predicted. 

“I’m surprised, Sakuno-chan,” Yoshida said and looked over at the younger girl who was staring at Hari with an awed look on her face. 

“Eh?” 

“I would have thought you would have watched Echizen’s match?” Yoshida said curiously because it was a well-known (and unspoken fact) that Sakuno liked the youngest Echizen. 

“Oh,” Sakuno blushed and shifted on her feet. “I wanted to, but I also wanted to watch Hari-chan. It’s exciting to think that she can become a regular for the boys’ tennis team, don’t you think? I wanted to see how Hari-chan was doing and I just couldn’t look away.” 

Yoshida smiled kindly at the excited girl who was looking completely captivated. Yoshida could understand because she too found it difficult to look away from Hari’s match. The way she played was captivating in an unusual way. It truly looked like she was having fun and that she was free when she was on the court. 

“I can understand that,” Yoshida said softly watching as Hari took the match point and won the first match in the interschool ranking tournament. 

 

Hari shook Arai’s hand and thanked him for the match before walking over to the bench and grabbed the towel to wipe the sweat off her forehead and smiled when a bottle of water was handed to her by Yoshida. 

“Thank you, Yoshida-san,” Hari smiled. 

“You played well,” Yoshida said. 

“It was fun,” Hari said before taking a deep drink of the water. “Arai is good.” 

“You won pretty convincingly;” Yoshida said. 

“But I had to fight for it,” Hari said. “Besides, I’m a bad match-up for Arai.” 

Yoshida nodded in agreement. 

“You’re playing Kikumaru-sempai tomorrow,” Yoshida commented. 

“Yeah,” Hari smiled before getting a thoughtful look on her face. “I am.” 

“Are you worried?” Yoshida asked. 

“Not more than I should be,” Hari chuckled and got up. “I’m more excited. It will be fun to play Kikumaru. He’s an interesting player who is difficult to predict. It’ll be fun.” 

 

**England**

 

“You mean Hari left her aunt and uncle by herself because she wanted to?” Hermione asked her father. 

“That was what her aunt said,” Mr Granger said. 

“But…why?” Hermione asked. “And where did she go? How could her aunt and uncle just allow her to leave?” 

Mr Granger looked at his daughter for a moment wondering just what he should say or how much. It had not been a pleasant meeting with the Dursley’s and he really didn’t like them. The way they spoke about Hari had all of his warning bells going off and if he didn’t need to get answers from them he would have been a lot more…unpleasant toward them that he had been. 

He had a feeling that Hari hadn’t told her friends just what was going on at home and he didn’t really want to be the one to tell them. It was Hari’s secret but at the same time, he couldn’t hide it from Hermione either. 

“I believe there are things that your friend hasn’t told you, Hermione,” Mr Granger eventually said. “I don’t think I should be the one to tell you because it is not my secret or life to tell.” 

“Dad…” Hermione said a little startled. 

“Listen to your dad, Hermione,” Mrs Granger said softly. 

“But…Hari!” Hermione looked between her parents. “Where is she?!” 

“She’s in Japan if her aunt is telling the truth,” Mr Granger said. 

“Japan?!” Hermione gaped. “Why?!” 

“Apparently she has a friend there and she left to go to him,” Mr Granger said. “They decided to allow her to stay and even arranged it with the Dursley’s.” 

“Arranged?” 

Mr Granger looked at Hermione for a moment before he sighed. 

“Her aunt told me that they adopted her, Hermione,” Mr Granger said.

“Hari has been adopted?” Hermione repeated shocked. 

“Looks like it,” Mr Granger said. 

Hermione was silent for a moment. 

“So, you don’t think Hari will come back?” Hermione asked quietly. 

“Her aunt didn’t say anything about her coming back, no,” Mr Granger said and his voice was a little tight because he didn’t want to repeat just what had been said on the matter. 

_That girl better stay away! We finally got rid of her and I’ll be damned if she ever steps into my house again!_

It had been the uncle who had said that and Mr Granger, the usually calm and collected Mr Granger had actually reached out and hit the other man hard enough to make him bleed. 

Mr Granger shook the memory away and looked over at his daughter who had bowed her head so that her hair was shadowing her face. 

 

“You want to do what?!” Ron stared incredulously at Hermione who was pacing in front of him. They were down by the lake a little bit away from the Burrow, a spot that they often used during the summer. It was a nice spot for bathing and relaxing but right now that was not on either of the two’s mind. Hermione had arrived earlier that day and had quickly dragged Ron away with her so she could tell him what she had learned from her father. 

“It’s not 'want',” Hermione scowled at him. “It’s going to! I’m going to go to Japan to look for Hari!” 

Ron stared at her. 

“You sure she is in Japan?” Ron asked. 

“I told you,” Hermione said impatiently. “Dad found out that she has been adopted by a Japanese couple and that means that she is in Japan!” 

“But where in Japan? Are you just going to go travelling all around Japan and hope that you find her?” Ron asked. 

“Of course not,” Hermione said rolling her eyes. “Dad said he was pretty sure she would be in Tokyo.” 

Ron frowned slightly but he felt a spark of hope and excitement go through him as he stared at Hermione. Where they really that close to finding Hari? 

“But… how are we going to get to Tokyo?” Ron asked and Hermione looked at him. 

“We?” She asked hopefully. 

“Of course it’s we,” Ron said rolling his eyes before he smiled. “I’m not letting you go looking for Hari on your own, you know. I want to find her too.” 

Hermione smiled. 

“I don’t really know,” Hermione admitted. “We will need to find a plan. Dad and mum would maybe allow me to go, but not just us. They can’t come because they have to work. They used their vacation earlier this year on a cruise because of their wedding anniversary.” 

Ron nodded thoughtfully. 

“I don’t see mum allowing us to go,” Ron frowned. “She’s too much of a worrier.” 

Hermione nodded.

“And…you think she would tell Dumbledore?” Hermione asked looking at Ron who frowned. 

“She’s not too happy with him for allowing Hari to be suspended and then losing her,” Ron said. “But, I do think she would think we should tell him if we know where she is.” 

Hermione frowned pensively as she thought about it. She was sure that Ron was correct but that did hinder their options a little. Since they were minors they would need parental consent to travel abroad on their own. 

“We want to go to!” Twin set of voices said and both Ron and Hermione spun around to see Fred and George coming forward from a tree they had been hiding behind. 

“You spied on us?!” Ron demanded angrily. 

“Well, you wouldn’t have told us if we asked you,” Fred said carelessly. 

“And you really should be careful about where you talk,” George added. 

“Especially if you’re planning on running away from home to find Hari!” They said together. 

Hermione and Ron exchanged annoyed looks but there was nothing they could do about it now. 

 

“So, our Hari is in Tokyo,” Fred said pensively. “I wonder why she went there by all places. Though, it seems like a good hiding spot. Old Dumbles has no idea where she is after all.” 

“True, true,” George nodded. 

“How are we going to explain all of us disappearing?” Ron scowled. “Mum will notice if we all leave.” 

“That’s true,” George said again. 

“But still…” Fred smiled. “I’m not letting you go and find Hari on your own, Ronikins.” 

“We want to see her too,” George said with the same mischievous smile. 

“We still don’t know how or if it’s even possible,” Hermione scowled. “And it costs money to travel. I have some money saved up, but I can’t afford to pay for all of us.” 

The Weasley brother’s looked a little uncomfortable at the mention of money and especially Ron scowled darker. 

“We’ll figure it out,” Fred said. 

“First we need to figure out what to do and how to do it,” Ron said with a sigh. “I still don’t know how we’re going to trick mum and dad.” 

“If we explain it to her and tell her that Hari didn’t want Dumbledore to know…” Hermione tried. 

“You’re too honest and naïve, Hermione,” Fred said giving her an almost pitying look. 

“Mum will not go against Dumbledore,” George agreed. “Even unhappy with him she fully believes that he should know where Hari is and she would want Hari to come back and attend Hogwarts again too. She believes that Hari belongs there with us so that they can keep an eye on her.” 

“I want Hari to come back as well,” Hermione admitted, “but not if she truly is happy where she is. If she is then she should do what makes her happy.” 

The others nodded. 

“I think I might have an idea,” Fred suddenly said and smiled. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? XD 
> 
> Do you have any wishes for other pairings in this story? Hari and Seiichi are set. I won't change them. But I'm open to suggestions for pairings for the other characters. I am considering Momoshiro and Tachibana An. But nothing (other than the main pairing) is set. I'm not sure I'll add more pairings but I would like to know what you think :) 
> 
> Hope you liked the chapter! Thank you all so much for the response this story has gotten! I really appreciate it! :)
> 
> Japenese words used:  
> Oyaji - Old man/dad  
> Nii-chan - brother  
> Hai - Yes  
> Matenai - I can't wait  
> Arigatou - Thank you  
> Gomen - Sorry  
> Saa - Filler  
> Sempai - upperclassman  
> Nande - why  
> Honto - Really  
> Otou-chan - dad  
> Okaa-chan - mom


	30. Ranking tournament part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Ryoga knew that he really shouldn’t be here. He knew that, but he just had to make sure that this guy was good enough for his little sister. It didn’t matter to him that he had only known Hari for a few weeks. She was his little sister just as Ryoma was his little brother. That meant that he had to look out for her. 

Hari was too used to having boys as friends and Ryoga worried that she didn’t really see the difference in having a boyfriend and a friend who happened to be a boy. What if he was only out for… no, Ryoga couldn’t even think that word in regards to his sister. He shook his head grimacing. 

Stupid mind that ran away with him. 

Anyway, he wasn’t going to interfere in Hari’s relationship. He was just checking this Yukimura Seiichi out and find out what kind of boy he was. But he wasn’t going to scare him away or anything like that. 

At least he wasn’t going to do that if he really was the kind of boy Hari seemed to think he was. 

But Ryoga did think that Hari could take care of herself like he had told her yesterday. He was not going to be another overprotective person around her but he did want to reassure his own worries despite his support of Hari. 

It sounded like he was going to contradicting himself a little but he didn’t really care. If he could be reassured that this boy was good for Hari, that he cared for her as he should, then he would be more at ease supporting Hari when she told their father. Nanjiro was sure to go crazy when he found out. 

So that took him to where he was currently standing just outside the wired fences around the tennis courts at Rikkai Dai Middle School. It was a wealthy looking school and the sports arena seemed to carry a lot of status at this school if the well-equipped courts and equipment were to be taken into account. 

He looked over the team with critical eyes and noted that they all seemed to be very good and strong players. He noticed a tall boy with dark hair barely visible underneath his cap and a stern look on his face as he hit ball after ball back over the net. He was clearly the strongest of those out on the courts. 

Interesting, Ryoga thought. He would be interested in playing him once, but that was not why he was there. 

He looked around again and finally found the one he was looking for seated on a bench with a notepad in his lap as he watched the courts. He had not been able to get a clear look at him last time because of the dark, but it was no doubt in Ryoga’s mind that this was Yukimura Seiichi. Hari’s boyfriend. 

He took a moment to observe him. His eyes quickly took in the wavy chin-length navy blue hair, and violet-blue eyes that were scanning the courts, and the fair complexion. He seemed…frail. Surprisingly so, Ryoga frowned slightly because even from the distance he could tell that there was something else to this boy as well. Something that didn’t fit with the frail image he presented. 

“Oi!” A loud voice yelled and suddenly someone grabbed his arm. “What are you doing here? Are you spying on us?!” 

Ryoga looked calmly to his side and the first thing he saw was hair resembling seaweed. He looked down and noticed the glaring green eyes and scowl on his face. His grip on Ryoga’s arm wasn’t too hard but Ryoga didn’t try to break free. 

“What’s it to you if I am?” Ryoga asked pleasantly. 

“I don’t like people spying on us,” the boy growled and pushed him forward without letting go of the arm. “Let’s see what Captain-san has to say to this!” 

Ryoga mentally shrugged as he was dragged slash pushed toward the team who had now stopped their practice and was looking at them with curious looks on their faces. Ryoga noticed that Seiichi hadn’t gotten to his feet as he stared straight at him with a sharp look on his face. 

 

“You’re a little old to be spying on us, aren’t you?” Yanagi observed more than asked. 

“I’m spying,” Ryoga grinned cheekily. 

“Blunt,” Bunta snorted as he blew a bubble with his gum until it popped. 

“Kimo i, Piyo!” Nio grimaces as he watched Bunta pick the gum off his face. 

Ryoga just watched them with a curious look before he looked over at Seiichi who hadn’t said anything. He was silently watching him and Ryoga couldn’t help but stare back with a searching look of his own. 

“What do you think you’re doing looking at our Captain like that?” Sanada snapped and stepped forward to block Ryoga’s view of Seiichi. 

“Protective, aren’t we?” Ryoga smirked tilting his head to the side as he looked at Sanada.

“Who are you?” Seiichi’s soft voice interrupted. “Just why are you spying on us?” 

Ryoga smirked again as his eyes found Seiichi again. 

“I’m not spying on your team,” Ryoga said as he pulled an orange out of his pocket and started to toss it lightly with one hand. 

“You just said…!” Kirihara growled. 

“Oh, I know what I said,” Ryoga said pleasantly. “I was just correcting your Captain. I’m not spying on your team.” 

They looked at him oddly. 

“The data would suggest that you would be spying on our team because you are a tennis player,” Yanagi said. “But the data would also suggest that you are too old to be in Middle School so you would have no interest in our team.” 

Ryoga gave him a curious look before he nodded. 

“Sono tori,” he said. “I don’t have any interest in your team, though I do find your talent intriguing and I would love to play the stoic one over there once.” He nodded toward Sanada. 

Sanada arched a brow but didn’t react otherwise. 

“But, that was not why I came here,” Ryoga said. 

“Then why did you come?” Jackal frowned. “And who are you spying on if it’s not the team?” 

Ryoga grinned and tossed the orange to him making him catch it automatically. 

“I’m here to spy on Yukimura Seiichi,” Ryoga said watching their reactions with amusement but also curiously. 

They blinked and then frowned and he didn’t fail to notice how they all seemed to step close to their captain like they wanted to shield him from his view. _Interesting_. 

“Who are you?” Sanada glared looking ready to grab Ryoga. 

“Echizen Ryoga,” Ryoga said. 

He watched as Seiichi blinked then frowned but did look at him with more interest. 

“Echizen?” Seiichi asked. 

“That’s right,” Ryoga said. 

The rest of the team looked confused yet curious. 

“Hari-chan is my little sister,” Ryoga said and smiled as he saw the widening of eyes and glances that was shot at Seiichi from his team. 

 

“Hari-chan is your sister?” Seiichi asked breaking the silence that had fallen over them and ignoring the curious looks from his friends. 

“That’s what I said,” Ryoga confirmed. 

Seiichi felt like laughing or hitting himself over the head. How jealous he had been when Minoru had said that an older boy named Ryoga had been with Hari once they met. That they seemed close and looked like they had spent the day together. Then again when Hari so casually mentioned him without an explanation. 

“Naruhodo,” Seiichi said getting a handle of his thoughts as he looked closer at the older teen in front of him. Seiichi didn’t miss the calculating look in those hazel eyes or the confident air around him. “And what brings you here?” 

Oh, Seiichi had a very good idea on the reason for the visit and to be honest… he was a little worried about it all. He must know about his relationship with Hari and him being here… well, Seiichi wasn’t sure it would be a good thing. 

“Oh, I thought I would get to know you,” Ryoga said with an easy smile that Seiichi almost believed to be sincere but he caught the shrewd glint underneath it. “You being Hari-chan’s _friend_ and all.” 

Seiichi caught the way he said ‘friend’ but didn’t betray anything as he got up. 

“Then, perhaps we should go and talk?” Seiichi suggested. “My team could get back to their practice if we went somewhere else.” 

“Oi! Don’t go!” Bunta whined. “This is just getting interesting!” 

Seiichi arched a brow at him and he deflated with a pout and turned away muttering something. Seiichi looked around to see if there were anyone else who would protest and even if they all looked curious they didn’t say anything. 

Well…almost no one. 

“Seiichi,” Sanada frowned and glanced at Ryoga. “I don’t…” 

“Don’t worry, Genichiro,” Seiichi said as he took a step closer to Ryoga. “I’ll leave the practice to you. Thirty minutes more, I think should be enough.” 

“Fine,” Sanada said but frowned unhappily. 

 

They ended up in a coffee shop and Ryoga bought them both a hot chocolate since Seiichi didn’t like coffee that much. Both of them sat in silence for a while just observing the other. 

“I’m not going to threaten you or anything,” Ryoga suddenly said. 

Seiichi arched a brow. 

“That’s good, then,” he said. 

Ryoga smirked as he leaned back in his seat. 

“I don’t need to,” he said. “Oyaji will do that.” 

Seiichi just stared at Ryoga without saying anything. 

“Maa, you’re no fun,” Ryoga said. “No reactions at all. Don’t you care about what Hari-chan’s family will think about your relationship?”

“Of course I do,” Seiichi said calmly. “But I already told her that I would face it. She’s worth it.” 

Ryoga stared at him with an unreadable look on his face for a moment before a slow smile started to spread on his lips. 

“Well said,” Ryoga nodded. “I must admit… I am curious about you. Hari-chan told me a little, but she was not very talkative. But, she seems to like you.” 

Seiichi allowed himself to smile a little. 

“I’m lucky,” Seiichi said simply. 

Ryoga tilted his head as he pulled out another orange and Seiichi briefly wondered how many of those he carried in his pockets and how he concealed them before he pushed it away and focused on the teen in front of him. 

“Yet another good answer,” Ryoga said as he started to fiddle with the orange. “Are you really just a 14-year-old boy? You seem more mature than most boys your age.” 

Seiichi shrugged. 

“I was just raised this way,” he said. “I don’t really know any other way to behave.” 

“Oyaji will have a fit when he finds out that Hari-chan has a boyfriend,” Ryoga said changing the subject slightly. 

“Hari-chan said so,” Seiichi said. 

Ryoga nodded. 

“Well, you should know that Oyaji is very protective over Hari-chan,” Ryoga said. “You could say he has his reasons for being so, but he is quite unreasonable when it comes to her.” 

Seiichi frowned slightly because he felt there was something Ryoga wasn’t saying. He was insinuating something more but Seiichi could tell that he would not say anything more about it. 

 

The second day of the interschool ranking tournament was upon them and Hari was sure she had never been so excited and nervous at the same time. She knew that her upcoming match against Kikumaru would not be easy.

Finally the time came to enter the courts and she saw the others walk toward their own courts and she nodded to Ryoma who glanced over at her. She kind of wished she could watch his match, but knew it was impossible given her own match. Well, she would get Ryoma to tell her about it later. Her mind focused back on her own match and just as she thought it Kikumaru came up next to her and grinned. 

She felt a rush of excitement go through her as she answered the grin and wondered if it was normal to feel like this before a match? It was like the nervousness she had felt was washed away and all she felt was excitement and anticipation before her match against Kikumaru. It was similar to how she felt before playing Saeki or even Ryoma, but those matches were for fun. So shouldn’t she feel more nervous now? 

Anyway, she didn’t and she stepped onto the court gripping her purple racket tight in her hand bursting to get started. She could see that Kikumaru felt the same as he practically bounced in place on the other side of the court. It was rather strange seeing him on a court by himself; she felt he was missing something when Oishi wasn’t there next to him. 

She was lost to the fact that their match seemed to gain a lot of onlookers. Those who didn’t have a match yet or those who weren’t in the ranking tournament normally gathered around watching some of the matches, but Hari was lost to the fact that they picked hers. 

“Are you ready, Hari-chan?” Kikumaru asked cheerfully as he bounced up and down. 

“I should be asking you that, Kikumaru-sempai,” Hari grinned back. 

He laughed loudly making her smile a little wider. His good mood was very catchy. 

“I’m looking forward to playing you, sempai,” Hari added. 

He nodded and his smile softened slightly. 

“Me too,” Kikumaru said. 

Hari got to her position as she waited for the second year who was going to be the referee to take his place. She closed her eyes and allowed her mind to drift as she waited. The excitement burned inside of her but also nerves but they were not a problem. Hari really believed that if she didn’t feel the nerves then she shouldn’t be playing. They were proof that she cared about the game. 

“Alright!” A voice brought her out of her thoughts and she opened her eyes. 

 

Hari watched as the ball she had hit over the net went higher than she had planned and Kikumaru jumped up and her eyes focused on his right hand and how he moved it forward, he would be hitting a backhand. And when he was in the air like that it meant that he was preparing to use his own move and his shot would be returned to behind her. 

“KIKUMARU BEAM!” 

Hari was already running backwards as her eyes were watching the ball not caring to watch where she was going, and when she saw the ball closer she threw herself to the side and stretched her racket out. 

Come on…come on… come on… she chanted in her mind just as she crashed to the ground and her racket hit the ball and with an effort managed to hit the ball with just enough force to make it go over the net again. This time it was out of Kikumaru’s reach. 

**Game for Hari: 3-3**

She gasped for air as she lied on the ground. She had made it. She had even the score. They both had 3 games now. She pushed herself up and looked over at Kikumaru who was looking at her with a curious yet considering look on his face. 

 

Hari used her slice serve and watched as it just went out of Kikumaru’s reach. He frowned at her but she didn’t pay him any attention as she prepared another ball. 

0-15

She tossed the ball up and used twisted her upper-body in time with her racket hitting the ball and watched as the ball sliced to the left with more power. But this time Kikumaru caught it and sent it back but she followed up with her own and was closer to the net again and jumped up in time to hit the ball and once more it was like wings attached themselves to her back and flames surrounded her as she used a forehand volley to steer the ball behind Kikumaru. 

0-30

Hari landed gracefully and wiped her forehead as she breathed a little heavier. 

 

“Sugoi,” Tomoka gasped as she stared at Hari. 

“I know,” Sakuno nodded. “She’s amazing.” 

Tomoka nodded looking a little dazed. 

“Who knew she could do that,” Tomoka said. 

“Hari-chan is good,” Horio said coming up next to them. “I can tell from my own tennis experience!” 

“You don’t,” Kachiro muttered but Horio didn’t seem to hear him. 

“She’s in the lead?” Mizuno asked looking over at Hari and Kikumaru who was now rallying and both seemed to be showing speed and flexibility as they did so. 

“Yeah, for the moment,” Tomoka nodded. “GO HARI-CHAN!” 

Sakuno jumped as Tomoka suddenly yelled. 

“GO, GO HARI-CHAN!” 

“Tomo-chan,” Sakuno said a little surprised. 

“Come on, Sakuno!” Tomoka said. “We have to cheer on Hari-chan! She could end up being a regular on a boys’ team! HARI-CHAN YOU CAN DO IT!” 

 

Hari grimaced as she missed a ball and Kikumaru scored a point. 

15-30 

She inhaled deeply. She had to keep her focus. She could not afford to become slack or lose focus for even a moment. If she did then he would pull ahead and she would lose. 

No, she was not going to think about that. Focus. 

She bounced the ball again and tossed it up before she served a regular serve not wanting to use her slice serve too much because it would become too easy to read. 

She was already moving when Kikumaru hit the ball back and she saw how the ball moved and correctly guess where it would land. It was like Saeki’s voice was in her ear telling her to focus but also trust her own instincts, to trust that she saw enough and use it without overthinking it. 

She hit the ball back with a backhand spin and watched as Kikumaru had to use one of his acrobatic moves to be able to return the ball. 

“Got it!” Kikumaru yelled. 

“Annoying,” Hari called back but she smiled even as she reached out and hit the ball back over the net with a low volley. 

Hari was vaguely aware of someone cheering as she continued to play and fight against Kikumaru, but it was only background noise that she blocked out. 

 

“Oh, they’re still playing,” Fuji said as he looked over at Hari and Kikumaru. 

He was soon joined by Oishi and Ryoma before Kawamura and Momoshiro came. 

“How is it going?” Momoshiro asked curiously. 

“They’re in tiebreak,” Sakuno said.

“Honto?” Kawamura asked.

“Interesting,” Fuji said without looking away from the court where Hari just returned another of Kikumaru’s beams. 

“They sure are giving their all,” Oishi said. 

“Yeah,” Kawamura nodded. 

They watched as the 2nd year referee called out the scores. 

2-1

2-2

2-3

3-3

3-4 

Both fought hard as they kept on playing and more and more of the tennis club came to watch as their matches were finished. 

Tezuka stood to the side and watched the game with his arms folded over his chest. He would admit that he was a little surprised that the match had gone into a tiebreak. But watching them he could see that they both were kind of similar in a way he hadn’t really appreciated before. It raised some interesting ideas to his mind as he watched them rally back and forth both refusing to give the other the point. 

They both were fast, and they both had a flexibility that no one else on this team matched, and while Kikumaru might be the stronger of the two in this area Hari’s abilities weren’t to be easily dismissed either. He had seen traces of it before if he were to think about it. 

Tezuka was also surprised that Kikumaru’s stamina was holding up because it was a common known fact that his stamina was the weak point. But it seemed like he had been doing some work on it since his and Oishi’s loss against St. Rudolph. 

The first one to make a mistake would be the one to lose. Tezuka knew that and he could honestly say that he had no idea who that would be because they both seemed to be on equal footing right now. 

 

Hari saw Kikumaru jump high up into the air and spin before he hit the ball and she knew he would aim for the corner behind her to the right. She didn’t have time to think or even curse herself in her mind for giving him such a ball when he was one point up and this one would give him the match if he got the ball in. 

“KIKUMARU-BAZOOKA!” 

She could tell that the ball was fast and hard. She didn’t think as she threw herself forward in a desperate attempt to reach the ball. She stretched the racket in front of her as she twisted slightly and she barely even noticed the rough way she hit the court and slid forward against the rough surface that was the courts as she tried to reach the ball. 

Thump. 

It hit beside her racket and out of reach and Hari could do nothing but look after the ball as it rolled farther and farther away. 

10-8

**7-6 – Final score – Kikumaru won**

 

“Aw…” Tomoka said sadly as she looked at Hari who was still lying on the court. 

“She did really well, though,” Sakuno said. 

Fuji heard the two girls but his eyes, for once opened, and were locked on Hari who still hadn’t moved as she lied stretched out on the court. 

She turned around so she was on her back and they saw the dirt on her light blue t-shirt and white shorts, but she didn’t attempt to get up as she stared up at the sky. Fuji could see her chest going up and down rapidly and the sweat on her forehead. 

Kikumaru had also fallen to the ground and was breathing hard as well, he looked drenched in sweat but he smiled happily for the win. 

“Interesting match,” Tezuka commented making Fuji look over at their Captain. He normally didn’t comment much about the matches that were happening in this interschool ranking but Fuji wasn’t too surprised that he had something to say about this one. 

“That’s true,” Fuji agreed. 

“She has taken more steps in her game than I thought,” Tezuka admitted. 

Fuji nodded but he wasn’t as surprised as Tezuka, he had after all been practising with Hari on her new move and knew more about her skills than the rest. Well, probably beside Ryoma. 

Fuji walked over to Hari and looked down at her with a smile on his face. She blinked up at him before she smiled tiredly back at him from where she was lying on her back. 

“You plan on lying there all day?” Fuji asked. 

“It’s comfortable,” Hari said. 

Fuji rolled his eyes before he reached down and almost lifted her back up to her feet much to her annoyance if the glare she shot him was any indication. He just smiled making her shake her head. 

“Arigatou,” she smiled slightly. “I’m so tired.” 

“Hari-chan!” Kikumaru exclaimed and waved at her as he came toward her. “You played really well!” 

“You too, Kikumaru-sempai,” Hari smiled back and accepted the hand held out before she was yanked into a hug. 

“Good game, Hari,” Ryoma said and Hari smiled a small smile to her little brother. 

“Thank you, Ryo-chan,” she said. “How did your match go?” 

“I won,” Ryoma said. 

“Good,” Hari nodded and gave him a proud smile. 

 

Dressed and back outside getting ready to go home with Ryoma and Momoshiro she heard her phone buzz signalling a new message. She pulled it out and opened the message while listening to the two boys talking. 

_Your boyfriend is an okay guy, Hari-chan. He sends his love. Also…he has a funny team. Ryoga._

Hari stopped abruptly almost making Momoshiro collide with her. 

“Oy! Watch out, Hari-chan!” Momoshiro exclaimed. 

Hari just stared at the text from Ryoga and felt…what? Horror and anger? 

“That baka!” She growled. 

“Who’s an idiot?” Ryoma asked from beside her. 

“Your brother!” Hari snapped. 

“My brother?” Ryoma arched a brow. “He’s your brother too, you know.” 

“Pfft,” Hari scowled. “Whatever…” 

Ryoma frowned slightly as he looked at Hari for a moment considering. He hadn’t seen her upset or angry with Ryoga before and he wondered why she was now. 

“Why are you upset with him?” Ryoma asked. 

Hari just scowled and pushed the phone back into her pocket and started to walk faster. 

Ryoma and Momoshiro exchanged curious looks but they were both equally lost on what Ryoga could have done to cause her to call him an idiot. 

 

Ryoma sat by the kitchen table eating a late dinner because he had missed it because he had been out training. He saw his father lazing around in the living room while his mother was at the office finishing some work or something. Nanako was doing her homework for one of her college courses while Hari was upstairs in her room if Ryoma was to guess. 

The door opened and soon Ryoga came into the kitchen whistling as he walked and tossed another orange but caught it when he spotted Ryoma sitting at the table. 

“Ah, Ryoma,” Ryoga nodded. “You’re eating late.” 

“I forgot,” Ryoma shrugged and gave Ryoga a curious look. 

“You have a one-track mind,” Ryoga smirked. “Didn’t Hari-chan tell you to eat?” 

Ryoma frowned slightly as he looked at Ryoga.

“She was in a bad mood,” Ryoma said. 

“Oh?” Ryoga arched a brow. 

“You made her in a mad mood,” Ryoma eyed Ryoga watching for a reaction. 

“Me?” Ryoga asked before he chuckled. “Ah, I see.” 

“What did you do?” Ryoma asked suspiciously. 

“Nothing much,” Ryoga shrugged. “Just talked to someone.” 

Ryoma looked at his older brother with a disbelieving look which Ryoga just laughed and reached out and ruffled his hair. 

“Stop it,” Ryoma protested and swatted after the offending hand. 

Ryoga only laughed as he turned and walked out of the kitchen again. Ryoma frowned because Ryoga hadn’t answered what he had done to make Hari upset. 

 

“I’m sorry, Sei-chan,” Hari apologized over the phone. “I really had no idea he would go so far to actually go and see you.” 

“It’s fine, Hari-chan,” Seiichi reassured her. “He wasn’t mean or anything. He said he just wanted to get to know me.” 

“He still should have told me,” Hari huffed. “I could have introduced you as normal people would do.” 

“Maybe,” Seiichi laughed, “but I think he found it more fun to cause intrigue and curiosity among my team and probably try to intimidate me.” 

Hari sighed. 

“Probably,” Hari said. 

“And you can’t say that you don’t see the fun in that, Hari-chan,” Seiichi said. “You could have done something similar yourself, you know.” 

Hari wanted to protest but she knew he was right. Annoying as it was. 

“Maybe,” she allowed grudgingly. 

“It’s fine,” he said again and she sighed. “But tell me about your match today?” 

Hari grimaced as she leaned back in her office chair and stared up at the ceiling. 

“I lost,” she said simply. “We got into a tiebreak and I made a mistake on one of the returns I made and he got in a shot I couldn’t return.” 

“Sounds like you were really close, though,” Seiichi said. 

“But it still wasn’t enough,” Hari said with a sigh before she smiled slightly. “It was a fun match, though. I was really excited when I played and I didn’t focus on anything but the match but…I still couldn’t do it.” 

“I wished I could have seen it, it sounds like an interesting match,” Seiichi said before asking; “You still have a chance to become a regular, right?” 

“Yeah, I have one win and one loss right now,” Hari said. “And yeah, it would have been fun if you could have watched the match.” 

“Then that’s good,” Seiichi said. 

They talked some more about the matches and Seiichi managed to cheer her up considerably before they hung up. 

 

Hari had worked through her loss when she got up the next morning and got ready for another day of the ranking tournament. She chatted lightly with Nanako during breakfast ignoring Nanjiro’s suspicious eyes on her while she did. 

“Why are you ignoring me, Hari-chan?” Nanjiro whined. 

“I’m not, Otou-chan,” Hari sighed and glanced over at him. She saw the happy and stupid grin on his face making her smile slightly herself but then he shook his head and frowned. 

“You’re hiding something from me, Hari-chan,” Nanjiro accused. “And I’ll find out what! You’re acting really suspicious!” 

Hari rolled her eyes and got up to put her plate away before she turned toward the older man who was pouting at her. She smiled slightly as she walked over to him. 

“I’m not really,” she said. “You’ll find out soon enough, Otou-chan. Just let me finish with this ranking tournament and then I’ll let you know, okay?” 

“Hari-chan…” 

Hari leaned down and did something she had never done before; she pressed a light kiss to his cheek before she left the kitchen feeling really red in the face. 

She didn’t see the delirious happy face of Nanjiro or the fond look from Nanako as she hurried upstairs to get her things and tried to calm down. She had no idea why she had done that… but it was normal for daughters to show affection for their fathers, right? 

 

“You’re red,” Ryoma commented bluntly when she met him outside of the house. 

“Shut up,” Hari muttered. 

Ryoma looked at her curiously but shrugged and followed his sister out of the gates. 

“Who are you playing today?” Hari asked trying to distract him and herself. 

“Oishi-sempai,” Ryoma said. “You?” 

“Mikami Koji,” Hari said. 

“He’s a third year, right?” Ryoma asked curiously. 

“Yes,” Hari said. “He is. I haven’t really talked much with him, but he’s kind and kind of shy.” 

Ryoma nodded. 

“Oi! Echizen’s!” 

Both Ryoma and Hari turned to see Momoshiro coming up behind them on his bike. 

“You’re way too fast!” Momoshiro complained. 

“You’re late, Momo-chan,” Hari replied dryly. “Besides, you’re on a bike while we walk… shouldn’t you have been faster than us?” 

Ryoma laughed and shook his head. 

“Haha,” Momoshiro glared at her but she just smiled back. 

They made the rest of the way to school together and with laughter and fun. Hari couldn’t stop smiling as she walked beside them. 

 

Hari thanked Mikami Koji for the match and smiled slightly when he congratulated her on her win. She could see the disappointment in his eyes but at the same time, he seemed to be genuinely pleased for her. 

“Thank you,” she said again. 

“You played really well, Hari-san,” Mikami said shyly. 

“So did you,” Hari said. “Your serve is really good. I really had trouble with it.” 

Mikami smiled shyly but looked happy. 

“Thank you,” he nodded. “But you’re just being nice.” 

“No, I’m not,” Hari protested. “I really mean it.” 

He eyed her for a moment before he smiled again. 

“I know I’m not going to become a regular,” he admitted quietly and shifted on his feet. “I have tried for three years, but the others are always so strong and I’m not good enough.” 

Hari looked at him a little surprised that he admitted that to her but she didn’t allow it to show. 

“That must have been tough,” Hari said and he glanced at her before looking away again a faint blush in his cheeks. “But I can tell that you’ve worked really hard on your tennis.” 

He nodded and looked pleased. 

“I have,” he nodded. 

“And you have fun with it?” Hari asked. 

“Oh, yes!” Mikami nodded and looked more alive than he had since their match. 

“Then that’s what most important,” Hari smiled at him. “I could tell as we played that you had fun and it made me have fun as well.” 

Mikami nodded and twisted his hands together a little as he glanced at her again and blushed. She smiled kindly once more and thought he was a kind boy if a little shy and awkward. 

 

“Congratulations,” Inoue smiled. “Another win.” 

“Thank you, Inoue-san,” Hari smiled. 

“I find it very interesting to follow your progress, Hari-chan,” Inoue said. “Do you play a lot with Nanjiro?” 

Hari looked at him for a moment before she answered. 

“Not as much as he would like,” Hari smiled wryly. “I get so busy and Otou-chan could play tennis with me and/or Ryoma for hours it seems.” 

Inoue blinked slightly as he caught the way she addressed Nanjiro, he did believe that it was a new development but he just nodded and laughed as he saw the mischievous look in those green eyes. 

“I bet you have him wrapped around your fingers,” Inoue observed. 

Hari shrugged and looked away from Inoue. 

“Who knows,” she mumbled before she shook herself and smiled at Inoue. “You should challenge him to a game sometimes. He would love for another excuse to play.” 

Inoue laughed and shook his head. 

“Oh, I did that once,” he admitted. “And never again. He crushed me.” 

“He does that with everyone,” Hari smiled. “He crushes me and Ryo-chan every time we play.” 

Inoue nodded. 

“I sometimes wonder what the results would be if he played the others from your team,” Inoue admitted. 

“Like Tezuka-captain, you mean?” Hari asked. 

“Or Fuji-san,” Inoue nodded. 

“Hmm…” Hari looked thoughtful for a moment. “Well, they’ll be crushed but I bet they would have fun playing him.” 

Inoue shot her a curious look before he nodded in agreement. 

“Oi! Hari-chan-sempai,” Horio came running up to them and both Hari and Inoue looked at him. 

“Yes, Horio-kun?” Hari asked. 

“That Atobe-guy is at the gates waiting for you,” Horio scowled. “And he sent me as an errand boy! I’m not…” 

“Ah, I see,” Hari said and glanced at the clock. “I’m sorry about that, Horio-kun. Thank you for letting me know.” 

Horio muttered something as he turned and walked away again. Hari shook her head as she watched him go before she glanced at the clock. 

“I forgot the time,” she said. 

“No, it’s my fault for stopping you to talk,” Inoue apologised. 

“It’s fine,” she smiled. “But I should go or Keigo will complain and that’s not pretty.” 

She grinned and waved at Inoue who was left standing watching the young girl that was such an enigma among the team that he couldn’t help but find her intriguing. 

 

“Keigo,” Hari smiled when she reached him. “I’m sorry I’m late.” 

“You are,” Keigo huffed but he smiled slightly back. “That boy I sent said something about tennis matches?” 

“Horio-kun,” Hari corrected pointedly before she nodded. “We’re having a ranking tournament deciding on who’s going to be the next regulars.” 

“I see,” Keigo said and looked at her. “And you’re in it?” 

“Yes,” Hari nodded. “So, I’m starving. Should we go and find something to eat?” 

Keigo nodded. 

“I told Kabaji to join us,” Keigo said as they started to walk. “He’ll meet us at the burger place.” 

“Alright,” Hari shrugged. 

“You don’t mind, do you?” Keigo asked and Hari glanced at him. She didn’t really think Keigo was one to mind if anyone minded anything he did if it was what he wanted. 

“Of course not,” Hari said. “I’ll look forward to getting to know Kabaji better. He’s your best friend, right?” 

Keigo looked a little surprised but then his face turned pensive. 

“I guess he is,” Keigo finally said. 

Kabaji was waiting for them when they reached the burger place and Hari greeted him politely. He gave a nod in return making her arch a brow at him but didn’t say anything as she followed the two into the restaurant. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? XD
> 
> I found that writing the tennis match between Hari and Kikumaru was worse than I imagined. I can't say how many times I rewrote it until I just decided to keep it and say it was good enough. So, yeah... hope you enjoyed it :) 
> 
> I will try to finish the ranking tournament in the next chapter so that it won't drag on for too long. :) 
> 
> Thank you for reading and supporting my story! ;) 
> 
> Japanese words used:  
> Kimo i - Gross  
> Sono tori - That's right  
> Naruhodo - I see  
> Oyaji - Old man/dad  
> Maa - well, filler  
> Sugoi - Amazing  
> Honto - Really  
> Arigatou - Thank you  
> Baka - Idiot  
> Otou-chan - Dad


	31. Ranking tournament part 2 - aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Momoshiro stared at the small pond that was behind the school. It was lunch and he just wanted to avoid his friends. He had done that ever since… ever since he lost. He hadn’t gone to any of the practices since the ranking tournament. 

He knew he was in trouble for it, but… he just couldn’t face it. Face them. Not yet. Not when he… 

He swallowed painfully as he once more remembered. Remembered how he had lost against Tezuka first. Though, to be honest that hadn’t been too much of a shock. Everyone lost against Tezuka. But he still felt the sting at the clear difference between them, how easy Tezuka had beaten him. 

Then he had won his next couple of matches and faced Inui for the last one. For the match that would decide if he was a regular or if he would get the third place that said he would keep playing. He wanted to win. He so dearly wanted to win and prove that he was a regular. He had done well in his matches in the tournament up until now, so he should be able to win. Right? 

But… Inui. Inui knew everything he was coming with. He had a response to it all and no matter what Momoshiro did Inui returned it and countered it. He remembered the helplessness he felt, how frustrated it was to have everything just thrown back at him like that and being unable to do anything. 

He fought with everything he got, but Inui still beat him. 

He sighed as he rubbed his forehead trying to refocus but it wasn’t easy. And no matter how much he hated to lose to Inui it was the match against Hari he couldn’t shake off. No matter what he did or where he went images of the match against Hari came back and he… what did he feel about that? 

_Hari jumped up and it was like there were wings attached to her back and fire around her as she smashed the ball back just out of his reach. The thud the ball made as it bounced away from him rang across the silent courts._

He had looked forward to playing her when it became clear that it was the two of them that would be facing each other in what Kikumaru called the finale of the ranking tournament. Everyone had gathered around to watch it. 

_Hari returned his smash by throwing herself forward and managing to get her racket underneath the ball and return it over the net again. He was too stunned to move._

_Hari using a slice serve and he was unable to reach it._

He knew that Hari was good. She had only lost to Kikumaru and Kaido, both had been close and she had even managed a tiebreak against Kikumaru. Not many managed that. So, Momoshiro knew logically that Hari would be a tough opponent. And she had kept up with Kaido for a good while before she had to see herself beat by the viper. 

_He used the jack knife, a fast, sharp and powerful backhand shot and watched as it hit Hari in the ribs making her gasp for breath and fell back. He winced in pain and worry, but she just got back up and rubbed her chest slightly as she smiled at him. Waving away the worried look and question from him and the others._

So…what had gone wrong? Why had he lost? Why had he struggled so with keeping focus in the match?

She just kept coming back and it almost felt like playing Inui again. Anger and frustration made him lose control and he made stupid mistakes. But he still had thought… he thought he had control. 

_Her eyes filled with pain but she jumped up and smashed the ball behind him assuring her win._

Yet, she came back and eventually she took the lead and he suddenly realised that she really did resemble her brother like that. He never gave up either. 

But he hoped that she hadn’t been hurt, he still winced thinking about the ball that hit her chest. He knew it had been a hard one, but she had barely stayed down before she got back to her feet and continued the game. He had seen pain in her eyes for that last shot, but otherwise… she had not shown any sign of being in pain. So she was probably okay, right? 

Worry nagged at him but he pushed it away and told himself that she would say something if she was hurt in any way or the others would have caught it. They saw it too, so… and they probably had caught it and handled it. It wasn’t like he had been around at practice to see. So they had probably dealt with it, asked her if she was alright. 

Yeah, he nodded to himself. He was sure they had done that. And she hadn’t said anything in class. Though… she had kept a distance to him in class. Probably out of respect or worry for him. He wasn’t sure if he appreciated that or if he was sorry that she did because she was a good friend. Yet, she was a part of the team and the ones he was so desperately trying to avoid right now. 

_“Thank you for the match, Momo-chan,” Hari said softly. “It was a good game.”_

He grimaced as the last words she had said to him came back and he felt like the biggest jerk on the planet. He had barely managed to remain calm and polite as they said the standard greetings after a match, but he hadn’t completely missed the worried look in her eyes as she looked at him despite trying to keep from showing it as she watched him. She had not even shown any happiness of making regulars in front of him. 

“Just why does she have to be so nice all the time,” Momoshiro muttered as he picked up a stone and threw it making it skip on the water before it sank making ripples in the clear water. 

He really was a jerk, Momoshiro thought. He would have to apologize to her later and check if she was alright after being hit by his ball. He still felt bad about that. But right now he needed to get his head back on straight and get over the loss. 

But it wasn’t easy. His head felt like it was a mess and thoughts and feelings were all over the place and just the idea of going to practice now was enough to make him sick. 

Argh. Just what was the matter with him? 

 

Hari felt the pain in her chest and knew it was the bruise just above her right breast that was the cause of it. She still hurt because of the ball she had caught from Momoshiro, but she pushed the pain away because it wasn’t the time to worry about it. 

She was worried about Momoshiro. He had not come to practice since the ranking tournament and it was her fault. She knew, logically, that it wasn’t really her fault. She had won a fair and tough match against him and they both had the same chances to win. Logically she knew. But… she couldn’t help but feel like it was her fault. 

“She’s the reason that Momo-chan isn’t on the team anymore,” a boy said to his friend. Hari heard him but refused to look over at the two as she walked toward the courts for practice. Momoshiro had left the classroom as soon as the teacher had finished. 

“Why is a girl on the team anyway?” his friend asked. “She should be on the girls’ team. Not take up spots on the boys’ team and keep players like Momo-chan off the team.” 

“I heard the first years in the club worry about Momo-chan during lunch,” she could hear the first boy say just as she rounded the corner. 

She paused and closed her eyes. It wasn’t the first time she had overheard someone saying the same things and it was like they said it in a way that was meant for her to overhear. She wouldn’t lie and say it didn’t hurt because it reminded her of how it was at Hogwarts, of how they would whisper about her and gossip. It felt like she would never get away from it. At least it proved that it was more than just her that felt it was her fault that Momoshiro was struggling now. 

But she wasn’t going to lose on purpose either. Not anymore. She was done with keeping back because of her aunt and uncle; she wasn’t going to make her results poorer because of fear of outdoing Dudley anymore. 

But that didn’t mean that she didn’t worry about losing her friends or hurting them when she did do better. She really didn’t want to be the reason for them hurting. 

She shook herself out of her musings and hurried to practice before she would be late and get Tezuka angry at her for being late. She really didn’t need to do that. 

Luckily they had just arrived when she was ready and started to warm up and again ignored the throbbing pain she felt from the bruised chest. She remembered seeing the bruise for the first time when she changed after the match and the dark reddish almost blue colour it had and it still had that colour. In fact, it had only gotten more pronounced. 

But she was sure the bruise would go away soon. She probably just bruised easily, it was not something she was going to call attention to. She was not going to complain just because her chest hurt and she had a bruise. Besides, everyone was so worried about Momoshiro and it was already tense enough among them. It was like they were walking on glass around each other and Hari felt both guilty and sad about it all. 

 

“I can’t believe that Ryoma isn’t worried at all,” Horio muttered darkly as he glared after Ryoma who looked relaxed and unbothered by Momoshiro’s absence. 

“Horio-kun…” Kachiro looked at him worried. 

“Look at him!” Horio said pointing at Ryoma and looking almost frantic. “I can’t believe him! He and Momo-chan-sempai are supposed to be close! And Ryoma doesn’t even care…” 

“I don’t think you should speak without knowing what you’re talking about, Horio-kun,” Hari’s voice interrupted him softly from behind them. 

The three first years spun around and stared at Hari with wide eyes. Horio mentally sweat dropped at once more finding someone from the regulars behind him. 

“I…um…I…” Horio stuttered. 

“Ryo-chan cares,” Hari said looking at the three of them with a serious look in her eyes. “He just knows that Momo-chan wouldn’t want to be crowded right now. It’s best to give him time to work through his own thoughts before anyone starts to crowd him. It will only hurt worse if he feels he’s being pitied.” 

With that she walked past them and over to Ryoma who looked up when she joined him and gave her a smile. She returned it as she joined him in his stretches. 

“I’m sure Hari-chan-sempai is right,” Mizuno said after a while. “She knows Momo-chan-sempai really well, too.” 

“Hai,” Kachiro nodded. 

“But I still think someone should say something…” Horio muttered. “I miss Momo-chan-sempai…” 

“So do we…” Kachiro said and Mizuno nodded. 

 

Ryuzaki stared at the old man in front of her. Just why had old Banda come to see her? What did he have planned? She had no idea and it annoyed her. 

“So, what brings you here?” she asked. 

“Maa, Maa,” he smiled. “Don’t you think Tezuka-kun is strong enough already? It’s such a waste…” 

She arched a brow. 

“To say such nice words,” Ryuzaki said as she gave him a sharp searching look. “Are you planning to weaken Seigaku's strength?” 

“Maa,” Banda dragged the word out as he scratched his chin. “There is a big gap now that Akutsu has pulled out…Seriously…” 

Ryuzaki just stared at him until he leaned forward and stared at her. 

“Then, can I have Echizen?” he asked.

“Uso da! You old man!” Ryuzaki snapped. 

“You have two,” he whined. “I just want one of them.” 

“One…” Ryuzaki said before she frowned. “Which one?” 

“Echizen Hari,” Banda smiled. “She’s a raw talent and I’d love the chance to work with her.” 

“Ie!” Ryuzaki yelled. “You can’t have either of them!” 

“So mean,” Banda pouted. 

Ryuzaki sighed.

“Well, for the time being…” Banda said and changed the subject and handed Ryuzaki several envelopes and pulling out the content revealed several schools in other countries, one in America, one in Germany and one in England. “Please, give that to Tezuka-kun.” 

Ryuzaki remained in the office after Banda had left and walked over to the window looking down at the practice. She knew what Banda was hinting at. It was a good opportunity. Tezuka was a strong player and he was ready for a bigger challenge than the middle schools around here offered him. 

She sighed. 

 

Tezuka watched Oishi and Kikumaru run laps around the court with a stoic expression on his face. Walking onto the court to see the two usually good friends openly fight was just another sign of how messed up the team were at the moment. 

He withheld a sigh as he looked over the rest of the club doing their own things. They all looked to be focused, but at the same time, they all looked to be holding back. It was remarkably quiet as they trained and it was no question on why. They all missed Momoshiro. 

He knew he should wait and let Momoshiro figure out things on his own, but it was not that easy to do. Not when the team was breaking apart. 

“You’re thinking,” Fuji spoke up. 

“Hm,” Tezuka glanced at Fuji. 

“He’ll turn up soon, I expect,” Fuji said. 

“You think so?” Tezuka couldn’t help asking. 

Fuji shrugged. 

“He loves tennis too much to stay away,” Fuji said and turned his eyes over to where Hari and Ryoma were working together. “Besides, I don’t think the two Echizen’s will allow him much more time to wallow.” 

Tezuka almost snorted. No, he supposed they wouldn’t. 

“You seem sure about that,” was all he said. 

“Saa,” Fuji smiled. “Momoshiro is closest to Echizen, and even Hari-chan.” 

Tezuka frowned slightly as he looked at Hari who had a small frown on her face and for a moment he thought it looked like she was in pain but then it was gone and she smiled slightly to her brother and everything seemed to be back to normal. 

 

“You saw Momo-chan at the street court?” Hari asked leaning back on her bed and winced as her chest protested the movement. She used the hand not holding her phone to reach for the pack of ice and placed it on the spot where the bruise was on her chest as she talked to An on the phone. 

“Yeah, don’t you have tennis practice after school anymore?” An asked curiously. 

Hari was silent for a moment. 

“You didn’t talk to Momo-chan?” she asked. 

“No,” An said. “I didn’t have the time and he looked upset so… I wasn’t sure how he would react…” 

“I see,” Hari sighed. “I guess you could say that our team is a little messed up right now.” 

“I thought you made regular?” An asked. “I got your text.” 

“I did,” Hari said, “but… Momo-chan was the one who lost his spot.” 

“Oh,” An said. 

“And he hasn’t been at practice since,” Hari sighed. “I want to help him, but seeing that he lost to me… I…I don’t want to rub it in.” 

“I understand,” An said. “I’m sorry.” 

“Yeah, well,” Hari sighed and then again winced and removed the ice because it was starting to get uncomfortably cold. “He needs to work it out and then come back. Or I will find him and drag him back myself.” 

The last part was said in a grumble and Hari could almost hear An’s smile over the phone as she answered. 

“I bet you would.” 

Hari huffed. 

 

An was walking past the street court again the next day and saw Momoshiro playing against both Izumi and Fukawa alone. From what she could tell he was winning but seemed to be annoyed and upset and didn’t even pay attention to the two double players as he walked off the court. 

An watched Momoshiro for a moment and remembered what Hari had said. She knew that Hari hadn’t told her everything and she wouldn’t expect her to do so either because this was a matter between the team. But it was enough for An to understand what was going on and she knew that her friend was beating herself up over this. 

“Oi,” An said as she threw a tennis ball toward Momoshiro’s back and hitting the back of his head. He turned around and paused when he spotted her. 

“Ah, Tachibana’s little sister,” he said. 

“Oi! I have a name, you know!” An snapped. “It’s An! Tachibana An!” 

Momoshiro turned away from her and she frowned as she took in the boy in front of her. He looked…so alone. It reminded her a little on how her brother looked before they moved… 

“What are you doing here playing against players like this?” An asked ignoring Izumi and Fukawa’s protests. “Shouldn’t you be with your team preparing for the Kanto Tournament?” 

Momoshiro was silent and An watched him for a moment deliberating on what to do. 

“Our team has recovered from their injuries and are working harder than ever,” An continued. “They say that they want to pay Yamabuki back…and Seigaku.” 

Again Momoshiro ignored her but she saw that his shoulders tensed. 

“Kamio also says he wants to beat that Atobe-guy from Hyotei,” An said. “Says he is too arrogant for his own good.” 

“What do you want?” Momoshiro finally asked looking over at her. 

“Momoshiro-kun, are you okay?” An asked. 

“I’m fine,” he replied without smiling. “You can leave now.” 

“It’s a public court,” An said, “and I don’t feel like leaving.” 

An glared at Momoshiro who looked away from her and nodded to Izumi and Fukawa who said they were leaving and told Momoshiro that they looked forward to the Kanto tournament. She caught the hurt look on his face before he pushed it back. 

“Ah, Tachibana’s little sister,” Momoshiro suddenly said and turned toward her and smiled. An couldn’t help but notice that it wasn’t his normal smile. “Do you want to play a little?” 

“Eh?” 

“That was why you came here, wasn’t it?” he asked. 

“Sure,” An said despite it not being so, she had come because she had hoped to find him and maybe get him back to practice. “Nande?” 

“I’ll be your coach, Tachibana’s little sister,” Momoshiro said. 

“It isn’t Tachibana’s little sister!” She snapped again. “An! It’s An!” 

Momoshiro smiled and for a moment his face lit up like it used to but it was soon gone. 

 

An was getting more and more frustrated as she played Momoshiro. At first, she had been excited because it was a chance to play a really strong player but now… she was just frustrated and starting to get angry. 

She picked up the ball that he had just used a feint and not the dunk smash like he normally would have done. She looked up at him to find him watching her with a dispassionate look. 

“You think I’m a fool, don’t you?” she accused. 

“Haaaa?” he asked. 

“You think that just because I’m a girl that you don’t have to go all out,” An scowled at him.

“It’s no use in using my dunk smash if you know it’s coming,” Momoshiro muttered looking away from her. 

“You really do think I’m a fool;” An whispered feeling more hurt than she thought she would. 

“Why are you being like this?” Momoshiro asked looking at her confused as she turned and started to walk away. 

“No reason,” she said. “Momoshiro-kun, you haven’t been yourself lately. I’m taking a break.”

 

_Momoshiro-kun, you haven’t been yourself lately._

Momoshiro looked over at where An sat on the bench fixing her hair. She looked rather cute… He blinked and shook his head. What was that? There was no way he had just thought… he shook his head again as he remembered what she had said. 

“I don’t even know what’s wrong with me,” Momoshiro said frustrated as he looked away from An. Just what was wrong? 

He had lost, yeah. And it hurt, but he could deal with that, couldn’t he? So why didn’t he go to practice? 

All he knew was that it hurt to think to go and see the regulars practice. Regulars. He wasn’t one of them anymore. He sighed. 

 

“Anou,” Hari said looking at the brochure in Tezuka’s hands. 

He looked up startled and Hari almost smiled because she had never seen him with that expression on his face before. He was always so guarded. 

“Hari-san,” he said and put the brochure away. 

“You’re thinking about study abroad?” Hari asked curiously as she took a seat next to him on the train platform. 

“Ryuzaki-sensei gave the brochure to me,” Tezuka said pushing his glasses up his nose. 

Hari nodded and looked out over the platform. 

“So, are you going?” She asked. 

“I haven’t decided anything yet,” Tezuka said stoically. 

“I see,” Hari said. “Well, I hope you’ll stay. But that’s just me being selfish. It’s a good opportunity.” 

Tezuka looked at her and saw the smile she gave him before she looked away again and seemed to be scanning the people around them. He wondered what she was doing there. She wasn’t allowed on the train, or so he thought. 

“What are you doing here, Hari-san?” he asked. 

“I’m waiting for someone,” she said glancing at him. “I’m still not allowed on the train if that was what you were wondering.” 

He allowed a small smile to cross his lips. 

“Good job on making the regulars, by the way,” he said. 

He noticed how her smile fell and a frown settled on her face. 

“Thanks,” she said. “I just wished that it didn’t cause such a mess within the team…” 

Tezuka looked at her for a moment. 

“You’re thinking about Momoshiro,” he said. 

She nodded. 

“He’ll come around,” Tezuka said in an oddly comforting manner. 

“You think so?” Hari asked. 

“I’m sure,” he said. 

“Good, because practice isn’t the same without him,” Hari said. 

Tezuka remind silent for a moment and Hari didn’t say anything as she watched the crowd around them. 

“You know that it’s not a bad thing that you became a regular, Hari-san,” Tezuka said making her look at him. “Being cut from the regulars is a part of being on the team. Everyone is important, not just the players on the court but also the support around the team. It’s a part of the game and Momoshiro will learn that. He will find his way back.” 

Hari blinked at him before she smiled a real smile and Tezuka counted that as a win. 

“Hari-chan!” a voice called and they both looked up to see a younger boy coming toward them. 

“Ah, Minoru-chan,” Hari smiled. “You’re here.” 

“The train was late,” Minoru said and glanced at Tezuka. 

“Ah, Minoru-chan this is the captain of my team, Tezuka,” Hari said. “Captain, this is Yukimura Minoru.” 

Tezuka arched a brow as he looked at the younger boy who was frowning at him. His arms had crossed over his chest like he was trying to intimidate him. Tezuka stared back stoically even though he felt amused. 

“Nice to meet you,” Tezuka nodded and got up. “That’s my train. See you tomorrow, Hari-san.” 

“Sure,” Hari nodded. 

Tezuka looked over his shoulder and saw Minoru attached to Hari’s arm and already chatting a mile a minute by the look of it. Hari was smiling and nodding along as they started to walk out of the station. Just what was going on, Tezuka wondered as he looked after them. Yukimura… he must be related to Yukimura Seiichi… was it possible? Huh… 

 

Momoshiro continued to play against An who was playing well and he noticed the fire in her as she played. It was similar to how Hari played, though Hari was better. But that wasn’t the point now. He felt something stir inside of him as he returned ball after ball and watched her play. 

He had become cocky. He had become arrogant and started to judge others by just looking at them and not really seeing them. It was no wonder he had lost. 

It was because he had become negligent that he had lost his spot among the regulars. He wasn’t good enough, but so what? He would grow. He would become good enough and continue to challenge himself and the others. He would go back to challenge those better than himself. Like he used to do. 

He suddenly felt better. He was going to fight back! He would get back the regular spot next time and then he would be strong enough! He would not forget this again. 

There! A high ball and he took the chance. He jumped up and felt the burning inside of him as he smashed the ball hard and it sped past An and away. 

“Don…” he said as he landed and then looked up at An with a sheepish expression on his face. “Sorry. I got serious for a moment.” 

An smiled and he blinked. 

“Somehow, you seem more like yourself now,” An said. 

“Huh?” Momoshiro blinked. “Really? I don’t feel different though.” 

An just smiled and said, “you’re different from before.” 

Momoshiro turned and walked a few steps before he looked over his shoulder and smiled at An. 

“Well, thank you, An,” he said. “Ups. No, Tachibana’s little sister!” 

An had smiled when he finally called her by her name but then she scowled at him.

“What’s with you?! It’s not something you have to especially correct!” An yelled. 

Momoshiro just laughed. 

 

“Ah, it’s you,” a voice said and Momoshiro turned to see a familiar boy sitting on one of the steps of the stands looking at him. 

“Atobe,” Momoshiro frowned. 

“Hari-chan’s teammate, huh?” Keigo said looking at Momoshiro with a curious look. 

“What do you want?” Momoshiro frowned as he looked at Keigo and then at the boys around him that were all dressed in Hyotei uniform so he guessed they were part of Keigo’s team. 

“I was just wondering why you have time to waste on a street court like this,” Keigo said. “Are you guys ready yet?” 

Momoshiro frowned as he stared up at Keigo who looked beside him and at An. 

“Ah, Tachibana’s little sister,” Keigo said with a slight smirk. “We won’t lose next time, you know. In the Kanto Tournament, we will be fighting with our true regulars. We won’t make the same mistakes twice.” 

“Don’t try to pick a fight!” An snapped before looking away. How could Hari stand this guy? An couldn’t understand it. 

“Atobe, is that guy really a regular on Hari-chan’s team?” Oshitari asked looking at Momoshiro with critical eyes. “He doesn’t look that tough.” 

“It’s a given that he’s not that tough,” Haginosuke Taki said lazily as he looked at Momoshiro. “Since he’s fooling around here.” 

Just then they heard footsteps and they turned to see Ryoma coming up the stairs and walking toward them. 

Momoshiro felt stunned seeing Ryoma. Why was he there? Had he come to look for him? 

“What’s up?” Ryoma asked as he took in the scene and his eyes narrowed slightly as he spotted Keigo who tilted his head slightly like he was curious. 

“So, I heard you beat Akutsu,” Keigo said. “Echizen.” 

“Oh, that’s the boy who hit you,” Mukahi said blinking. “He beat Akutsu?” 

“This kid?” Otori said surprised. “And Akutsu is tall…” 

“Not bad,” Haginosuke hummed. 

“Akutsu isn’t that tough,” Oshitari commented. 

Mukahi jumped up on the small wall in front of them and stared before he smirked. 

“Well said, Yushi,” Mukahi said. “That delinquent just likes to fool around and doesn’t even practice that much. He has no strength does he?” 

And then he laughed. 

“Oi! You said too much!” Momoshiro snapped. 

Mukahi stopped laughing but jumped and spun around in the air above Momoshiro before he landed behind him elegant and soft. 

He was eyeing Momoshiro with a considering look.

“If you want to play, then come,” Mukahi said. “I’ll make you both suffer.” 

“No way!” Both Ryoma and Momoshiro said at once making Mukahi blink. 

“Huh?” 

“I do want to play you…but this Echizen, he sucks,” Momoshiro said. “He has nearly zero sense in how to play doubles.” 

“As if you can talk!” Ryoma snapped annoyed glaring up at Momoshiro. “You’re the same, Momo-sempai! You just run around like a wild boar.”

“You!” Momoshiro glared back at Ryoma. “What’s up with calling your sempai a boar?!” 

“If not a boar how about a wild horse?” Ryoma asked innocently. 

“What?”” 

“What, huh?” 

The two of them continued to argue forgetting the others around them who blinked as they watched and felt confused. Wasn’t the two of them on the same team? Why were they arguing like that? An tried to interrupt them but neither paid her any attention. 

It ended with Momoshiro saying that he would rather team up with An than Ryoma leaving An to stare worriedly at Ryoma. But he didn’t seem to care as he turned away from Momoshiro and walked toward Keigo who had been quiet as he watched. 

“Well, I would much rather play you, Monkey King,” Ryoma said staring at Keigo. 

Keigo arched a brow as he stared back at Ryoma. 

Otori smiled slightly as he looked at Ryoma. “You’ve got guts.” 

Keigo didn’t reveal what he was thinking as he stared at Ryoma who just stared back unflinchingly. 

“Hari-chan wouldn’t like that very much, now would she?” Keigo finally said. “She gets mad at me if I mess with you.” 

“I’ll beat you;” Ryoma said. “Hari will deal with it.” 

“You don’t care what she thinks?” Keigo asked. 

Ryoma glanced away for a second before he looked back at Keigo. 

“That’s none of your business,” Ryoma said shortly. “Are you running away?” 

Keigo hummed and got up. Ignoring Oshitari who muttered something about Ryoma and gave him an almost respectful look. 

“I would love to beat you right now,” Keigo said. “But… I don’t want to make Hari-chan mad at me again. So, I’ll wait until Kanto Tournament. There I will crush you personally.” 

Ryoma narrowed his eyes as he watched Keigo walk away. 

 

Momoshiro looked at An who was packing up and he couldn’t help the smile that crossed his face as he looked at her. She was really something. 

“Arigatou,” he said and she looked up at him confused. 

“For what?” she asked. 

“For a lot of things,” Momoshiro smiled before he put his hands behind his head and looked away. “That doesn’t concern you.” 

An scowled at him before she shook her head. 

“Need me to walk you home?” Momoshiro asked almost hoping that she would say yes. 

“No need,” An said. “There’s a shortcut here that I’ll take. I’ll be fine.” 

She waved at them. 

“Bye, bye,” she said. “Good luck at the Kanto Tournament.” 

“Yeah,” Momoshiro said. 

“You’re finally back to the Momoshiro-kun that I know,” An smiled and turned around before Momoshiro could find a reply. Aware that Ryoma was watching him he turned slightly so he wasn’t staring after An despite wanting to do just that. 

“So, Echizen,” Momoshiro said and looked at his friend who adjusted his cap and refused to look back at Momoshiro. “Why did you come here?” 

“No particular reason,” Ryoma said turning around. “Are you coming or are you staying longer?” 

“I’m coming,” Momoshiro smiled amusedly. 

 

Hari smiled as she watched Momoshiro standing in front of a stern-looking Tezuka. But she didn’t miss the relieved look in Tezuka’s eyes as he stared at Momoshiro.

“How many times do you think he will get around the court?” Fuji asked her. 

“Based on data I would say 50,” Inui shot in. 

Hari smiled and glanced at the two seniors. 

“100,” Hari said. 

Fuji arched a brow in slight surprise before turning to look behind them as they heard laughter and saw Kikumaru and Oishi high-five and laugh like they used to do. He smiled slightly and glanced at Hari who had a fond smile on her face as she turned back to look at Momoshiro. She seemed to be more at peace now and he hoped that she would now be able to enjoy having been made a regular. 

“I won’t tolerate anyone breaking the rules,” Tezuka said. “You will not touch your racket for a while. And 100 times around the court.” 

“Hai!” Momoshiro said. 

Fuji smiled glancing at Hari. “You called it.” 

She shrugged turning away from the scene and picked up a ball using her racket. 

“Hari-chan,” Fuji called and she looked over at him. “Congratulations on making regular.” 

Hari smiled. “Thank you, Shu-chan.” 

 

**The Burrow**

 

“Okay, so why did you drag us out here looking like you have just pulled a prank that has gone horribly wrong and need our help to get your out of trouble?” Bill asked looking at his youngest brothers and their friend. “And I’m kind of surprised that Ron and Hermione have been dragged into it.” 

“Oi! Why do you assume that it’s our fault?” Fred and George asked as one looking indignant. 

“It’s always your fault,” Charlie said with a small smirk. 

“Mean,” the twins huffed. 

Bill felt his lips twitch amused before he got serious again and looked at the four teenagers in front of him. He had just gotten back to the Burrow earlier that day and he had not missed the way his youngest brothers had acted. Only Percy and Ginny had acted like normal, so they were clearly not involved in whatever was going on. 

“You haven’t answered my question,” Bill pointed out. 

He focused his gaze on Ron and Hermione. They both looked worried and to be trying to communicate through their eyes only with each other and it was rather fascinating to watch. He had heard about Hermione from Ron’s letters, but it was the first time actually meeting her now. He had looked forward to it and also meeting Hari Potter. And no, it was not because she was the Girl-Who-Lived, but because he had heard about her from practically everyone in his family (bar Charlie because he hadn’t met her either) and had gotten curious about the girl. 

But so far there had been no sign of the girl and he had not heard anyone say a word about her. He wasn’t even sure she was going to show up during the summer at all, but he hoped she would. 

“Um…If…if we tell you something will you promise not to tell anyone, I mean anyone, about it?” Ron asked. 

Bill arched a brow as he stared at Ron. 

“Why?” Bill asked. “If you’re in danger we can’t promise to not tell mum or dad.” 

“We’re not in danger,” George said. 

“If it’s a prank…” Charlie started. 

“It’s not a prank,” Fred said. “We would never do something like this as a prank.” 

“Never,” George nodded. 

Bill glanced at Charlie who shrugged and looked pensively back at him. It wasn’t often you saw the twins so serious. 

“What’s going on?” Bill asked. 

“Not until you promise not to say anything to anyone,” Ron said firmly and the other three nodded. 

Bill frowned and watched them for a moment as he pondered his choices. He could say no and they would walk away and probably get in trouble on their own and he would not be there to help them. Or he could promise and then talk them out of it if it was too dangerous or crazy, he would be able to help. 

Just what should he do? 

“Okay,” Bill said. “I promise not to tell anyone what you tell me.” 

Charlie looked at him surprised before he nodded and looked back at the four teens. 

“Me too,” he said. “I promise.” 

“Good,” Ron said relieved. 

 

“So, you’re saying that Hari Potter is missing and that Dumbledore is looking for her but you don’t want him to find her?” Bill asked with a raised brow. 

“And that you believe that she is in Tokyo, Japan because your dad found Hari’s aunt and uncle, who Dumbledore haven’t found yet, and they said that Hari had been adopted by a Japanese couple?” Charlie continued. 

“And now you want to travel to Tokyo to look for Hari without mum, dad or Dumbledore finding out?” Bill asked. 

Charlie wasn’t sure what to think. Other than that it was crazy and bewildering. 

“Yes,” Hermione said and nodded. She had done most of the talking up until now and Charlie could sort of see why because she was very logical and straight to the point. It almost sounded like she was reciting some homework but the emotion in her eyes as she talked was not to be mistaken of. She was really worried about their friend. 

“Why?” Bill asked and Charlie glanced at his older brother to see him looking serious and curiously at them. 

“Why?” Ron frowned. 

“Why not tell Dumbledore?” Bill asked. 

“Because Hari wouldn’t want that!” Ron said. “If…if she went so far as to actually escape the country then she is serious about not wanting to be found. Especially by Dumbledore.” 

“I don’t understand why she would not want to be found by Dumbledore,” Charlie frowned. 

“Look,” Fred said and leaned forward slightly. “Hari is Hari. We all care about Hari because she is a fun and kind girl who always wants to help others.” 

“She is awesome at pranks,” George added. “And she is smart and loves to fly.” 

“But to Dumbledore, she is the Girl-Who-Lived,” Ron said and looked at his brothers. “She has been through a lot during our three years at school; she has almost been killed several times because of Dumbledore and his schemes.” 

“You-Know-Who was defeated by Hari in our second year when she saved Ginny,” Hermione said softly. “She hasn’t really told anyone just what happened down in the Chamber, but it was traumatic but she never received any help after it. Dumbledore just said she was a hero and announced it to the school and her status as the Girl-Who-Lived was stronger than ever.” 

Charlie was aware that Voldemort had been defeated by Hari in her second year and that she had saved Ginny at the same time. But he had not really thought about how Hari would be after that, he felt a stab of shame go through him. He had just been so relieved that Ginny had been okay and Voldemort gone for good that he hadn’t thought about much else. He glanced at Bill and saw that he was probably thinking similarly to him. 

“She didn’t like that?” Bill asked. 

“No, she hates it,” Ron said and frowned. “I… I used to be jealous of her. She got all the attention no matter what she was doing or where she was. Everyone wanted to talk to her and be her friend. I used to wish that it had been me, but… I started to see just what it meant. It wasn’t always a good thing, because they were also quick to turn on her when she did something that they thought was wrong, they even believed that she was behind the attacks at school our second year. When Hermione was attacked they realised that Hari would never attack her best friend and suddenly she was popular again.” 

That was…horrible, Charlie thought with a frown. 

“Hari just wants to be Hari,” Hermione added softly and Ron nodded. 

“I realised that she never wanted the attention,” Ron said looking at his brothers. “She just wants to be a normal girl. She just wants a family and friends, but I… after she got suspended from school I think she must have gotten time to think about it and realised that she didn’t want to go back to a school where she’s not treated fairly.” 

“Why was she suspended?” Charlie asked. “You said something about Fudge…” 

“He suspended her because he thought that putting the blame on her would prove that he was powerful and in charge,” Hermione scoffed. “He needed someone else to blame for Sirius escaping and Hari was the one he chose because of her name.” 

“Hari Potter helps mass murderer Sirius Black escape!” Ron snorted. “Like they know anything.” 

 

“Okay, so I think I understand why she would not want Dumbledore to find her;” Bill said and he did. In fact, if it had been him he would feel the same way. He couldn’t understand how anyone could put a title before a young girl who clearly needed help. “But, if she went to all that trouble to hide…why are you still looking and searching for her? Shouldn’t you respect her wishes and stay away?” 

They were silent for a moment clearly thinking about what he said. 

“I know,” Hermione said quietly. “But, I need to see that Hari is happy and safe. She’s my best friend and right now… I’m sure she thinks that Ron and I are blaming her for this and that we don’t want to be her friend anymore. I don’t want her to think that.” 

“I just want to find my best friend again,” Ron said. “I want to see that she’s safe.” 

Fred and George nodded. 

“She’s our sister,” they said. 

Bill looked at Charlie who shrugged. 

“And just how are you suggesting that we get you to Tokyo without mum and dad throwing a fit?” Bill asked. He almost smiled at the hopeful looks he got. 

“We thought that maybe you could use work as an excuse…” Fred started to say. 

“…you could say you have something to do in Japan with Gringotts and we could come with you for a fun vacation,” George finished. 

Bill scratched his cheek with a finger and glanced at Charlie again. 

“I don’t know…” Charlie said. “It might work. It might be a nice way to distract them from their missing friend?” 

Bill nodded thoughtfully. 

“I suppose,” he said. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? XD 
> 
> I used forever to decide how to write this chapter. I tried to write out the matches and Hari playing Momoshiro and Kaido, but I couldn't get it right. No matter what it just felt repetitive and boring. So, I decided to cover the aftermath of the ranking tournament instead. I felt like showing how Momoshiro reacted to losing his spot on the regulars and how it affected the team. I felt it turned out better than my other attempts so, I hope you liked it too. :) 
> 
> Thank you for your patience and for reading and supporting my story! :) It means a lot to me. 
> 
> Japanese words used:  
> Sempai - upperclassman  
> Hai - yes  
> Maa - well/ filler  
> Uso da - no way  
> Ie - no  
> Saa - filler  
> Nande - why  
> Haaaa - what  
> Anou - Err, well, filler  
> Arigatou - thank you


	32. Hurt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Hari closed her eyes as she leaned against the wall in her bathroom. She gritted her teeth together as she felt her chest throb painfully, it was like someone was pushing against it with something heavy and spikey. It hurt even worse than when she first got it. 

She coughed and immediately winced and her hand flew to her chest in order to try to make the pain ease. 

“Itee, itee,” she muttered under her breath. 

What should she do? She briefly considered asking Nanjiro or Rinko, but she was sure it wasn’t really that serious and she really didn’t want them to think that she was just complaining about nothing. If the bruise was just a bruise then there was nothing they could do anyway. What was the point in saying anything if they couldn’t help? 

She pushed away from the wall and walked to the mirror and looked at the bruise in the mirror. It was still that dark colour, blueish and red around the edges. Was it bigger? 

She brought a hand up and touched it before rapidly removing her hand and scowled at herself in the mirror. Great. Just great. What great timing to get a bruise that refused to go away. It was now Monday and that meant that it was five days since she had gotten it and it wasn’t going away as it should! 

She felt irritated with herself and kind of worried because she didn’t want to slow anyone down at practice. Momoshiro had just gotten back and the last thing she wanted to do was to create anything else with her bruised chest. 

She was sure that it would go over in a couple of days. She’d had worse injuries, after all, the basilisk tooth through her right arm for one. She hadn’t complained then and she wasn’t going to complain now. 

With one last look she turned and grabbed her shirt and got dressed for the day. She could hear her family move around the house and she allowed the sounds to comfort her. 

 

Hari texted with Seiichi all the way to school barely aware that Ryoma and Momoshiro were shooting her curious looks as she smiled and texted with her boyfriend. She wished he would come back to Tokyo soon. She missed him. 

“Who is it she is texting with?” Momoshiro asked Ryoma quietly. 

“I don’t know,” Ryoma frowned as he adjusted his cap. “I am really curious.” 

Momoshiro nodded in agreement as Hari chuckled to herself. 

“Something funny?” Momoshiro asked. 

Hari blinked and looked over at him and Ryoma clearly having forgotten that they were there, and was that movement she just made a little stiff? Momoshiro frowned slightly. 

“Oh,” she said. “Gomen. I didn’t mean to ignore you.” 

“No worries,” Momoshiro grinned while Ryoma grunted. “But what’s so funny?” 

“Nothing much,” Hari shrugged before biting down at her lip and looked away from them. 

There was something off but what? Ryoma also frowned as he looked at his sister. She had been a little strange lately, and not just because she was hiding something or probably a boy someone much to his and Nanjiro’s horror, but the way she kept refusing to practice when she was home. She just went to her room and said she had homework to do. 

When was the last time he had played her at home? When was the last time she had played Nanjiro? Ryoma realised that he had no idea and that worried him. 

They had reached the school now and Hari saw other of her friends also arriving and smiled when Kikumaru waved at her but was held back by Oishi from rushing over to hug her. She was grateful for that because her bruise hurt and she really didn’t want to have anything put pressure on it. 

“See you at lunch?” Ryoma asked and Hari glanced at him. 

“Sure,” she said. “See you then, Ryo-chan.” 

Ryoma looked after her as she turned to the corridor leading to her classroom with Momoshiro. He couldn’t help the sudden dread he felt as he watched her go. 

 

“Run around the courts for the next ten minutes,” Tezuka ordered when he joined them at the courts. Hari was careful to keep her face blank as she took in the order but mentally she groaned because she really didn’t think she was up to running around the courts and at the same time keep up with the others. But since she was a regular now she had to keep up. 

With a mental groan she joined the others as they started to run. She kept pace with Kawamura who gave her a surprised look but she didn’t worry about why as she focused on running and not on the pain in her chest caused by her breathing. 

Fuji frowned as he glanced over at Hari who had decided to run by Kawamura. Now, there wasn’t anything wrong with that. She and Kawamura were friends, but she normally would keep pace with Ryoma or him. So why wasn’t she? 

She looked okay, though. Didn’t she? He frowned slightly as he thought she looked a little paler than normal and was she sweating harder? But her expression was focused and it didn’t look like anything was wrong by looking at her expression. 

He looked back in front of himself trying to convince himself that he was just imagining things. He then noticed the looks she got from Momoshiro as well and he was clearly worried about something. Fuji made a mental note that he needed to talk to him later and find out what he was thinking. Until then he would keep an eye on her. Just in case. 

Ten minutes had never gone so slow, Hari thought as Ryuzaki finally gave the signal that they had been running for the given amount of time. Hari forced herself to stay on her feet and only allowed herself to lean against the fence for support. 

“Here, Hari-chan,” Yoshida said and Hari blinked realising that the other girl was holding out a bottle of water.

“Arigatou, Yoshida-san,” Hari smiled tightly as she grabbed the bottle. Her grip slipped for a second and the bottle fell to the ground and rolled away from her. She glared at it in annoyance and felt tired and heavy. She pushed away from the fence and was about the bend down to take it when someone already had. 

“Are you alright, Hari-chan?” Sakuno asked worriedly. 

“I’m fine, Sakuno-chan,” Hari said with a small smile and took the bottle from her. “Thank you.” 

Sakuno nodded and turned to walk over to Tomoka again. Hari sighed took a sip of the water pushing back a grimace as the pain shot through her again. She rubbed a hand tiredly over her face as she tried to calm her breathing and focus on something that wasn’t pain. 

Seiichi. Seiichi. He was trying to come back to Tokyo soon. His parents were considering allowing him back this or the next weekend. So she would be seeing him again soon. It was something to look forward too. 

She managed to relax slightly and the pain resided enough to allow her to focus on Tezuka who had started to talk. Shoot. She had missed the first part of what he was saying… 

“…we’re practising serves and I want you to split up and work together,” he was saying. 

Okay, so serves. Right. She could do that. 

“Hari-chan,” Fuji said stopping in front of her. 

“Shu-chan?” she blinked. 

He looked at her with his normally smiling face and calm expression but she couldn’t shake the feeling that he was looking at her more closely (even though his eyes were closed like normal). 

“Let’s team up,” he said. 

“Fine,” she allowed and he smiled wider. 

She followed him and they found a spot close by Ryoma and Momoshiro who (surprise, surprise) were working together. She glanced around spotting Oishi and Kikumaru laughing and having fun like normal and already working. Kawamura was paired up with Tezuka, while Inui was with Kaido for some reason. Hari had to admit that she found that kind of surprising. 

“Ready?” Fuji asked. 

Hari nodded knowing that she really wasn’t but she had to be. 

 

Fuji opened his eyes as he watched her work on her serve. With a quick look, nothing was wrong, she performed one slice serve after another with a precision that was really good, but looking underneath… there was something off about her movements. Or…more precisely when she paused and took a breath. She seemed to be holding herself stiffly and tense, differently than normal in a way that he wasn’t sure how to describe. 

But what could be causing it? 

“Are you alright, Hari-chan?” Fuji asked. 

Hari got a guarded look in her eyes before it was gone and a confused and what seemed like a genuine smile crossed her face as she looked at him. 

“I’m fine, Shu-chan,” she smiled. 

He nodded but again he couldn’t shake off the feeling that she was lying. But why should she lie about that? 

They continued and Fuji was sure he saw a look of relief cross her face when Ryuzaki called out for them to stop. 

Unaware to Fuji he wasn’t the only one who kept looking over at Hari. Momoshiro was looking at her as well and a nagging feeling was making him think that something was wrong. But from just looking he couldn’t say what it was. 

 

“Tezuka,” Fuji stopped by the Captain when they were going over to the more free part of practice and he was worried. 

“Fuji,” Tezuka glanced at him. “What’s wrong?” 

Fuji almost smiled, he knew him so well. Normally people wouldn’t see that something was wrong, but Fuji was sure that something was very wrong. 

“Have you noticed something about Hari-chan?” Fuji asked. 

Tezuka arched a brow and glanced over at Hari who was rallying balls with Nagayama who were smiling and laughing. 

“I’m not sure,” Tezuka said slowly. “She’s not really performing like normal; her running time was slower than it usually is.” 

Fuji nodded. 

“I think something is wrong;” he admitted. “But I’m not sure what.” 

It was frustrating because Fuji always knew. He knew more than most about everything going on around the team. He watched and observed, but now… he was missing something. Something big and it was concerned with Hari. 

“I see,” Tezuka said thoughtfully. “Have you asked her?” 

“She said she was fine,” Fuji said. “But…” 

“You think she’s lying,” Tezuka said. 

Fuji shrugged. 

 

Hari coughed and leaned forward over the sink of the water fountain. The water from the spring was running and the sound was oddly comforting even as she coughed again and she couldn’t keep the pained grimace off her face as the cough shook her body and her chest protested the movement by shooting pain through her body with more intensity. Even her magic was feeling strange, almost like it was stretched thin or something. She didn't want to admit it but it kind of worried her. 

“Itee…Itee…” she cried fisting a hand as she leaned on the sink of the water station. She couldn’t help the sob escaping her as the pain felt worse than ever. 

Coughing again she gasped for air and her knees felt weak and shaky like they would be giving out on her any moment now. She forced herself to keep standing and stared at the water flowing down the sink and shakily reached out with a hand to place it under the water and felt the cold against her skin that felt hot and uncomfortable. She somehow managed to cup her hand and bring up some water to splash on her face. 

It felt good. She did it again and felt the water refresh her somewhat. She did it over and over but no matter what the hotness of her skin felt like it was there to stay. 

Another coughing fit went through her and she fell forward slightly and only just managed to reach out with the hand she had used to splash water at herself with and grab the sink to stop herself from falling against the water station. 

 

“What’s wrong with her?” Kachiro whispered to Horio and Mizuno as they stared at Hari who was leaning against the water station and coughing and looking like she was in pain. They could hear the quiet sounds of pain from her. 

“Shouldn’t we go and help her?” Mizuno asked worriedly but he kept standing where he was. He felt like he was intruding on something he wasn’t meant to see. 

“We should find Ryoma,” Horio said and the other two nodded with a relieved look on their faces. They all turned and ran back toward where the rest of the team was practising. 

They found Ryoma and the others gathered around Tezuka who had called them in, Ryuzaki wasn’t there at the moment but they didn’t really notice that. 

“Have anyone seen Hari-chan?” Tezuka asked. 

“Not for a little while,” Kawamura spoke up. “I think she went to get something to drink.” 

“Ryoma!” 

“Echizen!” 

Ryoma and the others turned to see the first year trio coming running toward them with worried and scared looks on their faces. 

“What?” Ryoma frowned. 

“It’s Hari-chan-sempai!” Horio yelled. 

“What about Hari?” Ryoma asked quickly. 

Fuji and Momoshiro also tensed. 

“She’s hurt or something,” Horio said. 

“She’s at the water fountain,” Kachiro said quickly. “She was coughing and seemed to be in pain… I don’t know…” 

Ryoma was already running and he wasn’t the only one. He could tell the others were right behind him but he didn’t really care about that right now. He was just concerned about finding Hari. 

They rounded the corner and saw Hari standing leaned over the sink of the water fountain and she was coughing so hard that her whole figure shook. She had clearly not heard them as she remained with her back to them. 

Ryoma hurried to her and paled when he saw her pale yet also flushed face, she was wet from sweat or water he couldn’t tell, probably both, but her eyes had a glassy look and her face was contorted in pain as she coughed and seemed to gasp for breath at the same time. A hand was to her chest. 

“Hari!” Ryoma cried worriedly. 

Her green eyes flickered over to him and she stared at him without recognition for a moment before she seemed to recognize him. 

“Ryo-chan,” she gasped out. “No…no…you…can’t…see…” 

Ryoma wasn’t sure what to do. 

“What…” he started and looked around. The others seemed to have frozen behind him. 

Fuji stepped forward and put a hand on Hari’s shoulder. 

“Hari-chan,” he said and she pulled away but another coughing hit her and she stopped and leaned into him instead. “Shh… calm down… try to breathe…” 

“No…no… can’t…hurt…” she managed to say. 

“Someone find Ryuzaki!” Fuji said as he helped Hari sit down and got a towel from Tezuka. He started to dry her face the best he could as she coughed and coughed. 

“Hari…” Ryoma sat down next to her and took her hand in his. “What’s wrong?” 

She shook her head and they could see her trying to get control of herself again but it seemed like a fruitless struggle. Ryoma watched her with wide eyes unable to help and he noticed her free hand clutching her chest. 

“Are you having chest pain, Hari?” Tezuka’s voice was calm and demanded to be listened to. 

She shook her head. 

“Hari…” Ryoma pleaded. “Tell me what’s wrong…” 

Fuji frowned as he tried to help the best he could and he rubbed her back hoping it would calm her down. He frowned as he knew he couldn’t do anything about loosening her shirt since it was a t-shirt and not one he could open up to help her breathing that way. 

Ryoma had no idea how long it took until Ryuzaki came running toward them with Kawamura (who had been the one to go and find her). She looked worried when she saw Hari and shooed the others farther away to give her some space. 

 

“Hari-chan?” she asked as she kneeled down next to her. “Can you calm your breathing for me?” 

Hari blinked at her and nodded. She closed her eyes and tried to calm her breathing and stop her coughing but it was difficult. Her pain was making her almost black out and she felt a rush of panic because her breathing wouldn’t calm down and she could feel another coughing fit coming but she had to stop. 

“Hari.” Ryoma’s voice called her. 

Ryoma. 

Ryoma. He was worried. He was there and he saw…. They all saw. Another wave of panic came over her. 

“Call an ambulance,” Ryuzaki ordered someone but Hari wasn’t sure who. 

No, she didn’t want an ambulance… she was fine… She just had to… 

Ryoma. 

“Hari, please…” Ryoma sounded so scared. 

She coughed again and her breathing wouldn’t stop rushing out of her, her chest hurt and it felt like it was on fire. 

“My…chest…” she gasped. 

“But you said…” 

“Bruise…” she gasped. 

“Bruise?” That was Fuji. 

She nodded weakly. Why did she feel so tired? She blinked and tried to focus. Her vision was a little bleary but she blinked again and then she saw Ryoma and Fuji right there and Ryuzaki as well. She gasped and felt new air hit her lungs and she managed to exhale as well. 

“That’s it,” Ryuzaki murmured. “Steady breaths, in and out… just focus on that, Hari-chan. In and out.” 

She tried. 

Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out. 

“No ambulance,” she managed to say. 

“It’s been called,” Ryuzaki said and she frowned. 

“I’m fine,” she said. 

“Fine?” Ryuzaki arched a brow. “I don’t think so.” 

“Hari…” Ryoma said before Hari could say anything else and she glanced over at her little brother who looked so worried and she felt a stab of guilt go through her. It was her fault. She had made him that worried just because she had to get a coughing fit and couldn’t stop.

She still struggled a little too keep her breath even as she looked at him but it was a little easier. She still felt warm and sweaty, her shirt felt clammy and gross and she kind of wished that Fuji would stop touching it because it must be grossing him out. 

“What bruise were you talking about?” Fuji asked and she realised that she could see his eyes. His blue eyes. 

“You have pretty eyes…you shouldn’t keep them closed all the time,” Hari mumbled as she closed her eyes and leaned against Ryoma. “I’m tired.” 

“Don’t go to sleep,” Fuji said and reached out to touch her chin. “Open your eyes, Hari-chan.”

Hari blinked and did as he said. 

“What bruise?” he asked again. 

She frowned. 

“Nanimonai,” she said tiredly. “Just a bruise. Nothing to worry about.” 

Momoshiro stepped forward then and he frowned. 

“Could it…could it be from the ball I hit you with in our match?” he asked. 

Hari blinked at him and frowned. 

“It’s not that big of a deal,” she mumbled. 

Fuji’s eyes widened. He remembered now. She had been hit in the chest with a ball and it had been so hard that she had been knocked off her feet, but she had gotten up so fast and hadn’t shown any sign of being in pain… he had forgotten. 

“Shit,” he muttered and he saw Ryoma also having come to the same conclusion as him. 

Just then the sirens from the ambulance sounded and they looked up to see the ambulance coming toward them and stopping a little bit away since it couldn’t get any closer. Oishi (who had gone to the school gate to meet the ambulance) came running toward them with a couple of EMTs. 

A man and a woman came toward them had without a pause sat down next to Hari and pushed Fuji and Ryoma away without much effort as they started to work asking questions as they did so. 

 

Ryoma felt like the worst brother in the world. How could he not have seen that she was so hurt that she had to have help from paramedics? She looked so pale and small where she was being worked on by a couple of paramedics. She protested their movements but she started to cough again and leaned forward in pain. 

“The breathing is shallow and laboured,” the man said after listening to her lungs. 

“We need to get to the hospital,” the woman said. 

The man looked at them. 

“Can anyone tell us what happened?” he asked. 

“We don’t really know,” Tezuka spoke up. “It appears she got hit in the chest by a tennis ball five days ago and has a bruise on her chest because of it. She hasn’t said anything about it and we had no idea she might have been hurt until now.” 

The man frowned and nodded. 

“Alright,” he said and together with his partner started to move Hari over onto a stretcher. 

“I’m fine,” she said despite struggling again to breathe. 

“Can I go with her?” Ryoma asked stepping forward. 

The man looked at him. 

“Anatahadare?” 

“I’m her brother,” Ryoma said. “Echizen Ryoma.” 

The man frowned and looked at his partner who shrugged. 

“Sure, but don’t get in the way, kid,” he said. 

Ryoma nodded and followed. 

“I’ll call Nanjiro and meet you at the hospital,” Ryuzaki said. 

Ryoma nodded. 

 

Nanjiro was reading in his magazine and giggling at the naughty Mari. He was laying on the floor and the television was on the background but he didn’t pay attention to it as he flipped the pages and another girl appeared. He giggled again. 

He could hear Nanako in the kitchen and Rinko had just arrived home and was somewhere around the house. The only ones missing were the kids. But they should be home soon and maybe he could get Hari to play with him again. It had been a while since she had done that. 

He heard the phone ring and with a sigh, he put the magazine down and stretched out and reached the phone before he fell down to the floor again with a “humph”.

“Hello?” He answered the phone. 

“Nanjiro,” Ryuzaki’s voice sounded. 

“Ah, old hag, what…” Nanjiro started. 

“Stop, Nanjiro, listen,” Ryuzaki said and her voice was serious and Nanjiro sat up almost unconsciously. 

“What is it?” Nanjiro asked. 

“It’s Hari-chan,” Ryuzaki said and Nanjiro felt his heart skip a beat in fear. “She is on her way to the hospital. There’s something wrong with her chest, but we’re not sure what yet. She suddenly had problems breathing and was coughing a lot after practice today.” 

Nanjiro got up to his feet and opened and closed his mouth without making a sound as he tried to make his brain work and actually talk. 

“What? Is she okay?!” The words came tumbling out of his mouth. 

“She had calmed her breathing when the ambulance got here,” Ryuzaki said. “But they took her with them to the hospital. Ryoma went with them and I’m on my way there now.” 

Ambulance. His little girl had been picked up by an ambulance.

“We’re on our way,” Nanjiro said before hanging up. “Rinko!” 

He rushed to the hallway and saw Rinko coming out of her office looking at him worriedly. 

“Nanjiro?” she asked. 

“Come on! We have to go!” Nanjiro yelled. 

“Go? Where? What’s going on?!” Rinko asked confused and worried because Nanjiro looked really scared. Nanako also came out of the kitchen and stared at them. 

“Hari-chan is at the hospital,” Nanjiro said. “Something’s wrong with her.” 

Rinko paled and if Nanjiro had been calmer he would have cursed himself for not telling her in a better way but right now all he could think about was Hari and hospital. 

 

Ryoma paced the waiting area he had been shown to by a nice nurse and he kept glancing toward the doors she had gone back through and he wanted to go back there and find Hari, to see that she was okay. 

How could he not have noticed that she was this hurt? How had she even hidden it? 

Questions like this swirled in his mind as he paced the room but he became no wiser to the answers. He looked up when Ryuzaki and the rest of the team came rushing in and he almost sighed. She really wouldn’t like to be creating such a fuss, but then again…maybe she needed to see just how worried they all were for her. 

“How is she?” Kikumaru asked and for once he wasn’t bouncing. 

“The doctors haven’t been out yet,” Ryoma said. 

Kikumaru’s face fell as he looked down at the floor and Oishi reached out to squeeze his shoulder and led him to a chair. 

“Ryoma, sit down,” Ryuzaki said comfortingly. 

“Ie,” he said and kept pacing and glancing at the door. 

Fuji sat down and stared at the door Ryoma kept glancing at. He guessed the doctor would come out through there so he stared at the door himself. He tried to keep calm but it was much harder than he thought it would be. He couldn’t get the image of Hari struggling to breathe between coughing fits and the way she clutched her chest out of his mind. 

The waiting room was luckily mostly empty beside them so they didn’t bother anyone else. 

Ryoma looked up when the rushed footsteps came closer and soon Nanjiro, Rinko and Nanako came rushing into the waiting room. 

“Ryoma!” Rinko rushed over to her son and hugged him. For once he didn’t mind being hugged by his mother, even if it was in front of all his friends because he needed the comfort. 

“How is she?” Nanjiro asked as he joined them and a serious look was on his face. Ryoma thought he looked really unfamiliar with that look; it was hard to connect it with his father. 

“The doctors haven’t been out yet,” Ryoma repeated. 

“What’s taking them so long?” Nanjiro complained. 

“Gaki,” Ryuzaki said and he turned to her. “Sit down and wait. They are doing what they can for her.” 

“Old hag,” Nanjiro scowled. 

“Dear,” Rinko sighed putting a hand on his arm. “Do try to behave.” 

Somehow she managed to calm her husband down and get him to sit down. 

 

“How’s Hari-chan?” Nanjiro asked the doctor who had come to get him and Rinko. They were in a small office and beside the doctor, there was a computer with some files opened and the desk was stacked with papers. 

“She’s very lucky,” the doctor, Ito Yuu, said. “She has a bruise on her chest, just above her right breast. It is serious but it could have been worse. She said she got it five days ago and she has kept playing tennis and doing what she normally does despite the injury.” 

Nanjiro frowned and fisted his hands against his thighs. 

“And?” he pressed. 

“The bruise is what we would call sportsmen’s chest pain,” Doctor Ito continued. “It’s usually seen in more contact sports like football, hockey, wrestling… but if she got hit by a tennis ball in full speed, then I guess it could explain the injury.” 

“And if she got it five days ago then why is she only now showing it?” Rinko asked. “Why is she suddenly having problems breathing?” 

“She pushed herself too hard,” Doctor Ito said. “Normally it’s not dangerous if you rest and not strain yourself. But since she continued to play she stressed her chest muscles and the strain it put on her chest caused her to get breathing problems and a cough. Though, I am a little surprised that she lasted this long before the strain showed.” 

Why had she done that? Rinko frowned worriedly and she couldn’t get that nagging feeling that said that this had to do with her time with the Dursley’s to leave her alone. 

“Why the cough, though?” Nanjiro asked. 

“It’s normal to develop a cough because of the chest pains,” Doctor Ito said. “She took shorter breaths in order to relieve the pain and because of that, the cough developed. If it continued like this it would have been a good chance for her to have contracted pneumonia. “ 

“But she hasn’t, right?” 

“No, she hasn’t,” the doctor said. 

“So, what now?” Rinko asked. 

“She needs rest,” Doctor Ito said. “No exercises for at least a week, maybe longer but we’ll see how the bruise is healing when she allows her body to relax.” 

“Can we take her home?” Nanjiro asked. 

“I would like to keep her overnight for observation,” Doctor Ito said. “Just to monitor her breathing and make sure that we haven’t missed anything. Also, I want to give her some breathing exercises in the morning as well.” 

“Alright,” Rinko said placing a hand on Nanjiro’s arm. “Can we see her?” 

“Of course,” Doctor Ito said. 

 

“Okaa-san!” Ryoma said as soon as his mother came back into the waiting room. “How’s Hari?” 

The others looked at her as well and Rinko smiled softly to Hari’s friends who had stayed waiting for news. She was really grateful that Hari had found such great friends since she came to live with them. 

“Hari’s going to be fine,” Rinko said. “The doctor said she got what is known as sportsmen’s chest pain. She pushed herself too hard and it aggravated the injury.” 

“But she’ll be okay again?” Momoshiro asked quietly. 

“Yes,” Rinko smiled at him. “She’ll just need some rest and she’ll be fine. She’ll need to stay overnight here at the hospital, though, but she’ll be out tomorrow.” 

“Good,” Fuji said. 

“That’s very good,” Ryuzaki said. 

“We want to see her, but I think that it might be too much right now,” Fuji said getting up and the others glanced at him. “She’s probably tired and needs to rest, so…” 

Rinko nodded. “I’m sure she would really appreciate seeing you all and knowing that you all waited here for her. If you want I’ll check and see if she’s ready to see you or you could come by the house tomorrow and you could see her then.” 

Tezuka got up as well and the others automatically looked to him to make a decision. 

“We’ll see her tomorrow,” he said politely. “She needs her rest.” 

“Alright,” Rinko smiled. 

“Tell her we’re thinking about her,” Kikumaru said. 

“I will,” Rinko smiled. “Thank you.” 

Soon Ryoma was the only one left with Rinko and Ryuzaki. Ryuzaki was frowning slightly as she looked at Rinko. 

“Where’s Nanjiro?” Ryuzaki asked. 

“He’s with Hari-chan,” Rinko said tiredly. “He really got scared when you called.” 

“I know,” Ryuzaki said. “I could hear it in his voice.” 

Rinko sighed and rubbed her eyes. “I never thought…” 

“I am sorry, Rinko-san,” Ryuzaki said. “I should have seen that she was hurt.” 

“We all should have,” Rinko said. “She should have said something, we should have noticed… but we didn’t and she didn’t… there’s nothing we can do to change that.”

 

Ryoma followed his mother into the room that he was told were Hari’s and paused by the door when he saw her laying on the bed. She looked like she was asleep as her eyes were closed and while she still looked a little pale she didn’t look to be in pain any more. An IV was connected to her arm and a bag of something clear fluid was hung up next to the bed. 

Rinko was already by the bed and reached out to stroke a strand of her hair out of her face with a gentle touch. Nanjiro sat close by the bed and had one of her hands in his and was staring at her face like he was scared she would disappear. 

“Ryoma,” Rinko said. “Aren’t you coming in?” 

Ryoma swallowed as he forced his legs to move and walk over to the bed. He looked down at his sister and felt a rush of anger go through him. Why? Why hadn’t she told him that she was hurt? Why would she keep that from them? From him? He thought they told each other everything. Didn’t she trust him? 

Then anger at himself filled him in even greater aspect. Why hadn’t he seen it? Why hadn’t he noticed that she was hurt? So hurt that she had ended up being brought to the hospital in an ambulance? How could he have let this happened? What kind of brother was he? 

“She’s going to be fine,” Nanjiro spoke up and glanced at him. “She’ll need you when she wakes up.” 

“She didn’t tell me,” Ryoma whispered. “She doesn’t need me.” 

“She does,” Rinko said looking at him before she pulled him into a hug. “Ryoma, she does need you. You’re her brother and best friend.” 

Ryoma just nodded and glanced over at Hari again and wondered how she could look so small and vulnerable when she was the strongest person he knew. He swallowed as he sat down at the edge of the bed and looked at her. 

“Where’s Ryoga-nii?” Ryoma asked. 

“He’s on his way,” Nanjiro said just as the door flew open and Ryoga came rushing into the room and stared wide-eyed at the bed and Hari lying there. 

“Is she alright?” He demanded breathlessly. 

“She’ll be fine,” Rinko assured him. 

 

Ryoga had been with a friend playing tennis at a club, winning money from some older guy who thought he was all that when he got the call from Rinko. He had stopped the game, didn’t care that he lost some money, and rushed out of the club leaving his friend in a confused and slightly annoyed daze. 

Hari was hurt and at the hospital. 

He had seen her recently and she hadn’t said anything about being hurt, so had it happened at practice? What had happened? Rinko hadn’t really gone into details on the phone. Right now he wished he knew more because the worry and concern were making him go crazy. 

In the cab on his way to the hospital he remembered Seiichi. He had probably not been told because he was the only one who knew about them and Hari probably hadn’t had time to call him. If it was serious then he should know… right? 

He frowned trying to figure out what Hari would want. She hadn’t told Nanjiro about him yet, and she probably didn’t want to introduce him to them like this… but, he should know. Ryoga knew that if it was his girlfriend in the hospital he would want to know. 

Still arguing with himself he pulled the phone out and found Seiichi’s number, glad he had asked for it and received it when he went to see him and pressed the call button. 

_“Hello?”_ Seiichi’s voice sounded. 

“Hey, Yukimura-san,” Ryoga swallowed. “It’s Echizen Ryoga and I think there’s something you should know…” 

 

Hari felt confused and sore as the surroundings started to come back to her and she realised that she was in a bed. But it wasn’t her own bed, so where was she? She tried to remember but the memory was foggy, she could hear talking around her. Familiar voices talking quietly, tensely and worriedly. Why were they worried? 

She blinked and the room came into focus. A white room, too white, and a window to her right that showed the sun still up but starting to go down. Then she noticed the people. Her people gathered around the bed. 

“Hari-chan!” Nanjiro was the first to speak. “How are you feeling?” 

She opened her mouth to answer before she closed it again realising that she wasn’t sure. She frowned and tried to catalogue herself. 

“Thirsty,” she croaked out and it was true. Her throat felt dry. “I’m fine.” 

“Fine,” Ryoma scoffed. “That was what you said when you were coughing so hard that you couldn’t breathe.” 

Hari blinked and tried to remember and suddenly the memory came rushing back and she remembered going to get something to drink and getting away from the others because she felt her breathing getting out of hand and she thought she just needed to have some water and relax by herself. Then Ryoma had been there, Fuji, Tezuka…everyone. 

She closed her eyes. They knew. 

“Oh,” she said quietly. “I…I didn’t…” 

“You’re going to be fine,” Rinko said and Hari looked over at her. Rinko reached out and cupped her face with one hand and smiled reassuringly at her. “The doctors said it’s a sportsmen’s chest pain, the bruise you have. Because you have been breathing in shallow breaths in order to regulate the pain and have pushed yourself with practice it turned into a cough and the breathing problems.” 

Hari frowned. 

“It’s just a bruise,” she said. “I didn’t think…” 

“We’ll talk later,” Rinko said letting go of her chin. “Right now you need rest and no stress.” 

Hari frowned but nodded. 

“I’m sorry,” she said weakly. 

Nanjiro squeezed her hand and she realised that he was holding one and Ryoma were holding the other one. Ryoga was sitting at the end of her bed and looked at her with a concerned look but smiled slightly when he saw her looking. Nanako was standing behind Ryoga and smiled relieved at her. 

“We’re just glad that you’re okay,” Nanako smiled. 

Hari nodded. 

 

It was late when Hari finally was alone in her room. The others had just left her and she was a little surprised that they managed to get Nanjiro to go home. It was not easy but she had assured him that it was fine and he really needed the rest. He looked exhausted and she knew he was tired. 

She didn’t mind being alone for the night. It wasn’t like she hadn’t been alone before, but somehow… had she wished for someone to stay with her? She frowned. It wasn’t possible, anyway. Hospital policy and all that. They had already let them stay way past visiting hours and it was not worth fighting them just because she was…what? Lonely? Scared? 

Was she scared? No. Of course not. But she couldn’t deny the small worry she felt deep in her stomach at the thought of being alone in the hospital. She kind of wished that Nanjiro or Rinko had stayed with her… they would be a comfort. She wished she could have gone home. She would be so much better at home and not at the hospital.

She scoffed at herself. She was being stupid. It wasn’t like she was in any immediate danger. She was fine. She was sure of it. 

And since when did she need someone to be with her? She never had before and she had been fine then. She would be fine now. She didn’t need anyone to hold her hand just because she felt…oh, she didn’t even know what she felt. 

But…she couldn’t deny (at least to herself) that she had been scared back at the school when she couldn’t catch her breath and the coughing wouldn’t stop. It had been scary. But why did she feel scared like that? She had been in worse trouble and handled it way better. She hadn’t felt scared in that way down in the chamber or in that room with Quirrell… Not like that, anyway. 

And the look on Ryoma’s face… she felt guilt rise up inside of her just remembering it. He had looked so scared and worried like he really thought she was going to… No. She wasn’t going to think about it. 

Shame and embarrassment went through her as she thought about her friends. They had seen her like that. They knew. She didn’t want them to know. They would think she was a burden and then those who said that she didn’t belong on the team would be proven right. She hadn’t even managed to get through a week before she had caused trouble. 

_Get the snitch or die trying._ That was what Wood had told her before the Quidditch match back in her second year. It was the same principle. Do your best or die trying. Push yourself for the team. That was her duty. That was what she had tried to do, but instead, she just caused them worry and trouble. They must hate her now. Think that she was weak. 

She suddenly sat up and gasped slightly in pain. She had forgotten! How could she have forgotten! Seiichi! He didn’t know… should she call him? She glanced at the clock. It was pretty late… would he be upset if she called him now? Should she? What was the point in worrying him when she was fine? 

Would he worry? 

The small doubt rose inside of her and she frowned. Why would he worry? Why did anyone worry? She was just…Hari. Nothing special, really. 

Honestly. She wasn’t even sure why Seiichi even wanted to be her boyfriend. Maybe he would realise what a burden she was if she called him? Would he think she wasn’t worth it? 

She couldn’t lose him. She really liked him and… 

The door opened and she glanced over at it automatically and felt her eyes widen when she saw who was standing in the doorway. It wasn’t a nurse or a doctor like she had thought…

“Sei-chan!” She gasped. 

He looked at her for a long moment and it felt like time stood still and she couldn’t decipher the look in his eyes. Suddenly it was like time moved again and he moved toward her and over to the bed. 

“Hari-chan,” he whispered. “You’re…okay?” 

“I’m fine,” she said automatically still staring at him. 

He frowned and reached out with both hands and rubbed his thumbs over her cheeks wiping away tears she hadn’t even realised had run down her cheeks. He sat down at the edge of the bed beside her and cupped her face between his hands. 

“How did you know?” Hari whispered. 

He didn’t answer for a moment before he sighed and let go of her face and his hands fell into his lap. 

“Your brother called me,” Seiichi said. “Echizen-san thought I should know.” 

Ryoga had called him? She swallowed. 

“Oh,” she whispered. “He didn’t tell me.” 

Seiichi looked at her. 

“Why didn’t you say anything?” he asked. 

Hari looked down. 

“I…I thought it would go away,” she said. “I didn’t want to complain just because it hurt a little. It’s not a big deal…” 

“Hari-chan,” Seiichi frowned. “If you’re hurt then you should say something. It’s not complaining.” 

Hari frowned. She had always been told to stop complaining when she was hurt as a kid and complained to her aunt when she had to do chores and her arm hurt because Dudley had grabbed it really hard, or she had a bruise because she had been pushed or fallen. 

Seiichi saw the confusion in Hari’s face and felt worried. Did she really now understand why she should have said something? That he, her friends, her family would have wanted to know so they could have helped her? 

She looked so confused and exhausted that Seiichi felt himself soften and reached out to push a loose strand of hair out of her face and let his hand linger against her chin. She blinked at him and he smiled slightly. 

“We can talk later,” he said. “You need rest.” 

“I want to talk to you,” Hari said but her eyes started to drop. 

Seiichi smiled as he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her temple. 

“I’ll stay,” he said. 

“But visiting hours…” Hari frowned. 

“I got connections,” Seiichi said mysteriously. 

Hari smiled and closed her eyes before she opened them when she felt someone laying down next to her making her move slightly to the side. She blinked at Seiichi who smiled back at her but there was a question in his deep violet-blue eyes as he looked at her, and she could tell he was nervous.

“Is this okay?” he asked quietly. 

He was so close and warm. She knew she probably should tell him to move, but she didn’t want to. She smiled and nodded. 

“Yeah.” 

She snuggled closer to him and allowed her eyes to drop as she felt his arm around her waist hugging her close. She felt safe. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? XD 
> 
> I don't know anything about medical stuff so anything medical in this is only taken from some light research. So, I'm not trying to pretend that I know what I'm talking about with the medical aspects of this chapter. But I have tried to make it believable. Hope it is. :) I hadn't really planned on taking the injury this far, but as I wrote I ended up with this so I decided to go with it. It is a consequence of her hiding her injury and ignoring her own needs. It will be a wakeup call for her and those around her. :) 
> 
> The next chapter will, hopefully, be up in a day or two. I have most of it written out and just need to edit it a little more and maybe make a couple of changes before I put it up :) So, here's to hoping that everything goes as planned and you get another chapter soon! :) 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading and supporting the story. I love getting comments from you or just knowing that people are reading my story and hopefully enjoying it! XD 
> 
> Japanese words used:   
> Itee - Ouch  
> Gomen - Sorry  
> Arigatou - Thank you  
> Nanimonai - Nothing  
> Anatahadare - Who are you?  
> Ie - No  
> Gaki - Brat  
> Okaa-san - Mum


	33. Guilt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing! 
> 
> **parseltongue**

Hari yawned as she opened her eyes feeling a moment of confusion as she realised that she wasn’t in her own bed at home and that someone was right there next to her. She turned her head and saw Seiichi sleeping beside her. His arm was protectively thrown over her waist. She blushed. 

She looked at him unable to stop herself and thought he looked so adorable sleeping, he looked so peaceful. She was not sure how long she stared at him before his eyes started to flicker open and she looked away suddenly embarrassed. 

“Ohayo,” his voice made her look back at him. 

“Ohayo,” she said. “You stayed.” 

“I told you I would,” he said smiled. 

She smiled back at him and nodded. “I know, but I thought you would go when I fell asleep.” 

He sat up and yawned as he rubbed his eyes making her smile because he looked adorable. He gave her a confused look but she just smiled some more and hoped that she wasn’t blushing (even though she probably were) before she tried to sit up but stopped and grimaced. 

Right. 

The reason why she was in here in the first place, that stupid bruise. She had forgotten. 

“Are you okay?” he asked worriedly when he caught the grimace and he was already reaching out to help her. He helped steady her and looked at her with a searching look. He was so close. 

“It hurts when I move,” she tried to smile. “I forgot.” 

Seiichi frowned worriedly as he looked at her and smiled slightly as he met her eyes. He got up and out of bed making Hari shift until she found a more comfortable position. He helped to get the back of the bed elevated so she was sitting up while still being supported. 

He sat down again at the edge of the bed and took one of her hands in his and entwined their fingers together. She glanced at the entwined fingers before looking up to meet his violet-blue eyes. She felt a stab of guilt go through her when she saw the worry in his eyes. 

“Should I find a nurse or something?” Seiichi asked. 

“No, not yet,” Hari said. “I just want to sit here with you.” 

He smiled. 

“But if you’re in pain,” he said as his smile turned into a frown. 

“It’s manageable,” Hari said. “But…what would the nurses think seeing you here? Um…did they come in during the night?” 

Seiichi smiled, “I told you I had connections. I spent a lot of time in here, you know. They won’t say anything.” 

Hari blinked but nodded. “Alright.” 

“I need to step out to make a call,” Seiichi said. “I should call my parents, but I’ll be back soon.” 

Hari nodded and watched as he walked out of the room. 

 

“Ah, you’re awake,” a nurse said as she walked through the door and spotted her awake. “How did you sleep?” 

“Alright,” Hari said and fought the blush away at the idea of the nurse having seen Seiichi there during the night…but the nurse didn’t say anything. 

“Good,” the nurse prattled on. “You didn’t call us so we took that as a good sign.” 

Hari nodded as she nurse started to check whatever it was nurses checked and Hari just stayed as she was as the nurse worked. 

“Can I get out of bed?” Hari asked as the nurse finished. 

“Need the toilet?” the nurse asked.

Hari blushed slightly and the nurse just smiled kindly. 

“And I feel like washing my face,” Hari said. “I feel…kind of gross, I guess.” 

The nurse nodded. 

“I can help you if you want,” the nurse offered. 

“No, I’m fine,” Hari denied. 

“Well, the doctor said that it was good for you to move around a little,” the nurse said. “Just don’t overdo it and if you need help be sure to call for help. There’s no shame in needing help, Echizen-san.” 

Hari nodded. 

“I just want to try on my own first,” she said. 

“I can understand that,” the nurse said. “The doctor will be by to see you sometime this morning. Your parents should be back again by then as well.” 

Hari nodded and thanked her. 

 

Hari managed to get to the bathroom and wash up and get ready, it was a little slow but she made it. When she returned to her room she found Seiichi seated on the bed waiting for her. He got up and rushed over to her as she came walking toward him. He put an arm around her and helped her back to the bed. 

“I’m fine, you know,” Hari muttered but allowed him to help her. 

“Well, I wanted to help,” Seiichi said. 

“How long will you stay?” Hari asked looking at him. “What did your parents say?” 

He grimaced slightly. 

“I have to go back today,” he said. “They are worried about all the school I’m missing. I explained yesterday that someone I cared about was at the hospital and that I needed to see them… They said it was fine, but I need to get back today.” 

“I understand,” Hari nodded and pushed back the guilty feelings for being the reason he was missing school. “Thank you for coming to see me, though. I…I really…” 

She swallowed and he squeezed her hand. 

“It means a lot,” she managed. 

“Mochiron,” he smiled. “I wouldn’t be anywhere else.” 

He leaned in and kissed her softly before he pulled back and let his forehead rest against hers for a moment. 

“I was so scared,” he whispered. “Yesterday when your brother called… I really thought…” 

He couldn’t finish his sentence. 

“I’m sorry, Sei-chan,” Hari said. “I really am.” 

He pulled back and met her eyes with his and nodded. 

“I know,” he smiled slightly. “I know. But, Hari-chan… you never should feel like you need to hide from me just because you think I’ll worry. I’d rather worry than you being in pain and hiding it.” 

Hari nodded. 

“I’m sorry,” she said again. “Next time we meet I’ll tell you more about it… I think I should explain a little…” 

He smiled slightly as took her hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it. 

“Okay, but mostly I’m just relieved that you’re alright,” he said. 

 

When Nanjiro came rushing into the room like he was being chased Hari was alone and resting. Seiichi had already left to catch a train back home and hopefully catch the last part of the school day. She was torn between relieved that she didn’t have to introduce Seiichi to her family right now (though she would do it really soon) and wishing he could stay a little while longer not ready to say goodbye. 

“Hari-chan!” Nanjiro exclaimed and Hari opened her eyes and smiled when she saw him. 

“Hey, Otou-chan,” she smiled. 

“Dear, I told you not to rush in like that!” Rinko said sternly behind him. “You woke her up.” 

Hari looked behind him and saw Rinko along with Ryoga and Ryoma. Both boys looked worriedly at her but looked relieved when they saw her awake and slightly bemused. 

“It’s fine,” Hari smiled slightly as Nanjiro pulled her into a hug (surprisingly careful) and held her for a long moment. 

“Did you manage to sleep?” Rinko asked when her husband let go of Hari and she hugged the younger girl herself. 

“Yeah,” Hari said fighting the blush that threatened to rise up her cheeks thinking on Seiichi sleeping right next to her. 

“That’s good,” Rinko said. “The nurse said she was happy with your progress and the doctor should be here soon.” 

Hari nodded and looked over at Ryoma. 

“Ryo-chan,” she said quietly. “Are you mad at me?” 

Ryoma had not said much to her since she had been brought in, and she worried that he was mad at her. She bit down at her lower lip to stop it from trembling. 

“No,” he sighed and moved over to the bed. He sat down at the edge as Seiichi had done before. “But… why didn’t you say something, Hari? I would have listened to you.” 

Hari looked down. 

“I’m sorry,” she said. She had a feeling she would be saying that a lot over the next period of time. “I…really thought it was nothing. I am really sorry.” 

Ryoma looked at her and scowled. 

“It’s those stupid relatives of yours, isn’t it?” he asked. 

Hari shrugged. 

“At least you’re okay,” Ryoga said stepping up and smiled slightly and she saw the knowing look in his eyes as he looked at her. “You do seem better than last night. I bet you had a nice and peaceful night. Free from Oyaji’s fretting and pacing.” 

Hari rolled her eyes at him while Ryoma looked confused. 

 

Fuji stared at the cactus in front of him without really seeing it. He was worried about Hari. He hoped that she was okay and that she really would be coming home today like her mum had said yesterday. He couldn’t help the worry, though. He had a feeling that there was something much deeper behind the reason for why she hadn’t told anyone that she was hurt. 

He also felt anger. Anger at her for not telling anyone, but mostly anger at himself for not realizing that she was hurt. She must have shown signs in the days after the injury, but they had all been so distracted by the fact that Momoshiro wasn’t there and worried about him. They had all missed it by being preoccupied and blind. 

“Is something wrong, Shusuke?” Yumiko asked. 

He looked up at his older sister who was standing in the doorway to his room. She looked to be dressed for work. 

“Just worried about a friend of mine,” Fuji said. “She was sent to the hospital yesterday.” 

“Oh, is she okay?” Yumiko asked. 

“She’ll be fine,” Fuji said, “but I still worry.” 

Yumiko nodded. 

“She must mean a lot to you if you worry like this,” Yumiko observed. “Is she your girlfriend?” 

“No, she’s just a friend,” Fuji said. “A good friend.” 

Yumiko nodded but still looked a little suspicious. 

Fuji got up and started to get ready for school. It was going to be a long day… 

 

Momoshiro barely ate anything for breakfast and knew his mother was looking at him worriedly, but he couldn’t care about that right now. He just couldn’t bring himself to eat. How could he? When it was his fault?

“Are you sick?” his mum asked. 

“No,” Momoshiro said. “I’m just not hungry.” 

He got up and left the kitchen before she could say anything else and made his way to his room. He finished getting ready for school despite not really feeling like going. He didn’t want to see the others, see how worried they were about Hari when…when it was him that was the cause of it. 

With a sigh he left the house and grabbed his bike. Out of habit he biked past the Echizen’s house and looked up at it, it looked empty. Dark. They probably had already left for the hospital to see Hari. He doubted Ryoma would come to school today. 

Again guilt flashed through him as he remembered the scared look on Ryoma’s face. His best friend’s face. Ryoma was his best friend, even if he wasn’t his. He knew Hari was Ryoma’s best friend, but he liked to think that he was pretty close to being his best friend. So, how could he have been so careless to shot that ball? 

He should have done something when she fell because she was hit by his ball. How could he think that she was fine after that? Of course, she wouldn’t be fine! He was such an idiot. Kaido was right… he really was stupid. 

When he reached the school he did his best to avoid his friends from the team as he sat down in the classroom. He glanced over at the desk that belonged to Hari and wished that she would come in and take her seat smiling at him as she did so. He even wished she would prank him. Anything as long as she was here. 

The rest of the class came in and he saw several of them looking over at him and he knew that word had spread about what had happened on practice yesterday. 

“Is it true?” Sora asked coming up to him with her brother right behind her. 

“What?” Momoshiro asked even though he had an idea. 

“Is Hari-chan really at the hospital?” Hira asked with a frown. “People are saying that she collapsed at practice yesterday and that she was sent to the hospital in an ambulance.” 

Momoshiro fought to keep the flinch back as the words were spoken out loud making it so much more real. 

“Yes, it’s true,” Momoshiro managed to say before he looked away. 

Sora and Hira both looked worried and Momoshiro tried to not look at them but even as he looked away he saw them in the corner of his eyes. They were Hari’s friends too. He realised that despite the fact that she was spending most of her time with them during school she still had other friends as well. 

“Is she okay?” Sora asked. 

“She’s going to be fine,” Momoshiro said looking back at them. “Her mum said she would be coming home from the hospital today.” 

“Okay, that’s good,” Hira nodded and with that, he grabbed his sister and pulled her back to their desks as the teacher entered the classroom. 

Momoshiro noticed that Kaido had entered as well and looked even more sulky than normal. For once he didn’t feel like riling him up or anything and he just felt a fresh sense of guilt as he took in the sulky air around him. 

He was brought out of his thoughts by the teacher’s voice telling them about Hari and that she was fine and would be back to school in a day or two if everything continued to go well. 

It was going to be a long day, Momoshiro thought as he picked up the whispered conversations of his classmates and saw the looks they cast him and Kaido. 

 

“I want to see Hari-chan,” Kikumaru whined as he leaned over his desk staring at the clock that said it was still a couple of hours until the class were over and they would be free to go and see her. 

“I know,” Fuji said. 

“Do you know how she is?” Kikumaru asked. 

“I texted Echizen and he said she was alright and they had taken her home,” Fuji said. 

“Well, that’s good,” Kikumaru mumbled. “But…why didn’t she say anything, Fujiko?” 

Fuji sighed. 

“Shirimasen,” he said. 

“I was so worried last night I could barely sleep,” Kikumaru said. “It’s a little strange how important she has become… it’s just a few months since she started school and it feels like she’s always been here.” 

“Yeah,” Fuji nodded in agreement. 

“Oishi was also worried today,” Kikumaru said. “He looked like he hadn’t slept at all. He always worries…” 

Fuji almost snorted. Oishi did indeed always worry and he knew that Hari was in for some good Oishi-mother-henning when she came back. 

The rest of the day went slowly and Kikumaru pouted all through class, but the teacher seemed to have heard about Hari and didn’t call him or Fuji out on their inattentiveness during class. 

As soon as the bell rang they were out of the door and rushed to the gates where they had agreed to meet the others before heading toward the Echizen’s house. Ryuzaki had cancelled practice today knowing they wouldn’t be able to focus and understanding the need to see their friend. 

Fuji stood beside Tezuka who had a serious look on his face and he knew he was thinking about Hari and her injury. Fuji also knew that Tezuka was worried but that he also wanted to know why she hadn’t said anything. He wasn’t the only one there. He saw Kikumaru stand impatiently beside a worried Oishi and Kawamura. Inui was for one not making notes in his notebook as he stood silently beside Kaido who was glaring at the ground. 

Fuji looked to see the first year trio coming up to them with a worried Sakuno and Yoshida. Sakuno looked like she hadn’t slept at all. 

“Where’s Momo-chan?” Fuji asked realising that he was the only one missing. 

“He left,” Kaido spoke up. “He has barely said a word all day. I told him we were meeting here, but…” 

Fuji frowned but nodded. Tezuka sighed. 

“Come on!” Kikumaru said impatiently. “If Momo-chan isn’t coming, then let’s go!” 

“Calm down, Eiji,” Oishi said. 

“No,” Kikumaru whined. “I want to see Hari-chan!” 

“We all want that,” Oishi said trying to calm his friend. 

Kaido hissed something and looked impatient as well. 

 

“Hey,” Ryoma greeted them when they rang the doorbell. “Come in.” 

“How is she, Ochibi?” Kikumaru asked almost looking ready to cry. 

“Tired,” Ryoma said. “But she says she’s fine.” 

She says she’s fine. Fuji realised that it would take some time before anyone would trust her when she said that. 

They followed Ryoma into the living room to find Hari seated on a sofa with Ryoga next to her. The television was on but the sound was low and it didn’t seem like they were paying attention to it. 

“Hey,” Hari said nervously when she spotted them. 

“Hari-chan!” Kikumaru rushed over to her but remembered that she was hurt so he didn’t hug her like he wanted to. “Are you okay?” 

“I’m fine,” she smiled at him. “I’m just a little tired.” 

“You said you were fine yesterday too,” Kikumaru pouted. 

Hari looked down feeling guilty. 

“Hontoni gomen’nasai,” she said formally. 

They were all silent as they observed her as she was propped up on the sofa by pillows and blankets. She noticed their looks and huffed. 

“Otou-chan went a little overboard,” she explained. 

“A little,” Ryoga grinned. “You’d be wrapped up in bubble wrap if he had his way.” 

The others chuckled and the tension in the room seemed to disappear. 

“Sit down,” Hari said. “Do you want anything to drink?” 

Ryoga got up to find something and Fuji took the chance to take his spot of the sofa. He looked at Hari with a worried look. 

“I’m really fine,” she told him. “I just need to rest and not practice for a few days and the doctor said I should be fine.” 

“That’s good,” Fuji said. 

Tezuka nodded in agreement as Hari looked over at him. 

“I’m sorry for causing trouble, Captain-san,” she bowed her head to him. 

He looked stern like normal but his eyes had a softer look in them as he looked at her. 

“Being a part of the team also means to tell someone that you’re injured,” Tezuka said. “It’s a responsibility as well.” 

Hari looked down and nodded. Her hands fisted in her lap. 

“I…I’ll remember that,” she said quietly before she frowned slightly and looked around the room again. “Um…where’s Momo-chan?” 

She noticed the nervous looks and felt dread deep in her gut. He was mad at her. She knew it. He was…

“I think he’s struggling with something and has a hard time seeing you,” Fuji spoke up and Hari blinked and looked at him. 

“He’s mad at me,” she whispered. 

“No, I don’t think he is,” Tezuka said. 

“Of course he isn’t mad!” Kikumaru exclaimed. “Why should he be?” 

“Because I didn’t tell you and made you worry,” Hari said. “It’s my fault that you worried like that. I didn’t mean to do it. I tried to make sure you didn’t worry… I tried to not be a burden.” 

Fuji frowned and looked at Ryoma who was scowling at the floor and his hands were fisted in his lap. A picture that wasn’t very pretty was starting to build in his mind, honestly, it had for a while, but now it was getting clearer. 

“You’re not a burden, Hari-chan,” Kawamura said softly and Hari looked over at him. He smiled kindly at her. “We don’t think you’re a burden.” 

Hari looked down unable to find words. 

“And Momoshiro is just feeling…guilty,” Kaido said. **“The gentle trick assumes the walk.”**

Hari barely noticed the parseltongue as she frowned. 

“Why is he feeling guilty?” She asked. 

“He was the one who hit the ball that hurt you,” Inui said. 

“But…that was an accident,” Hari frowned. “It wasn’t his fault.” 

The others nodded but no one said anything else and allowed Hari to think for a moment. 

 

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Kikumaru finally snapped and asked what they all were wondering.

Hari glanced over at him before looking down again and swallowed. She knew she owed them an explanation. But she was not sure how much she should say or was ready to say. She enjoyed being just Hari with them, that they saw her and not her past or anything like that. 

“Eiji!” Oishi scolded. “Maybe now not the time to talk about it…” 

Hari looked up again and saw the worried looks and she felt guilty all over again. But they were here and they cared. She wasn’t used to anyone other than Ron and Hermione and the twins caring about her (and Ryoma of course). She suddenly felt a little lighter and something that reminded her very much of hope rise in her chest as she looked at her friends. 

“I’m really sorry,” she said again. “I am…used to keeping injuries to myself. It’s…” 

She frowned and struggled to find the words she needed and she her throat felt thick like something was blocking it and she tried to swallow. 

“Hari,” Ryoma said and she looked over at him. “It’s okay. Just calm down.” 

She nodded and inhaled before wincing in pain. 

“You know I got adopted by Ryoma’s parents,” Hari said even though they knew, they nodded. “I… I was with my aunt and uncle before…back in England… and…well, they never cared for me. If I got hurt or anything then they would yell at me and complain about what a burden I was. I…am not really used to…I don’t know…” 

She frowned in frustration for not being able to say it clearly. She fisted a hand and realised with a jolt that her cheeks were wet from tears. 

“That’s enough,” Ryoma said and squeezed the hand he had taken in his. “You don’t have to say anything else and you’re supposed to be resting.” 

He looked at the others who looked shocked and angry at what they heard but they nodded when Ryoma looked at them. 

They were silent again. It was rare to have all of them together and that it was this quiet. Ryoga came back with something to drink and arched a brow at the silence but didn’t say anything as he left again.

 

Ryoga felt worried as he left the room again, but he knew Hari needed this time with her friends so he would leave. He rolled his eyes when he saw Nanjiro lingering in the hallway looking in through the door to the living room. He had a frown on his face as he watched the boys closely. 

“Oyaji,” Ryoga sighed. “What are you doing?” 

“Nanimonai,” Nanjiro said.

“You’re spying on Hari-chan,” Ryoga said. “You shouldn’t do that.” 

“I’m not spying,” Nanjiro protested. “I’m just…keeping an eye on Hari. She’s sick.” 

“She’s not sick, she’s injured,” Ryoga said. “And she’s fine as long as she’s taking it easy. Ryoma will keep an eye on her. Let her talk with her friends.” 

“But…but one of them might be her boyfriend!” Nanjiro whined although he managed to keep it quiet. 

Ryoga sighed and closed the door. 

“Go back to the shrine before I call Rinko,” Ryoga said and Nanjiro pouted. 

“Mean, mean boy,” he said but turned to go back to the shrine. 

 

Hari smiled as she sat on the sofa and was surrounded by her friends. The tension that had been there when they first came was gone and she was now listening to them talking and laughing like they normally did. 

She smiled when Kawamura offered her some sushi from his father’s shop and ate it gratefully. She loved his sushi. She even rubbed it in when the others complained that they didn’t have anything. 

“You know,” Kikumaru said turning to look at her. “When we played I had this thought… I haven’t had a chance to talk to you about it yet…” 

“What?” Hari asked. 

The others looked at Kikumaru as well. 

“You have motion vision,” Kikumaru said. 

“Motion vision?” Kachiro asked from the back of the room. 

“I haven’t heard of it before either,” Mizuno said. 

“It’s when the player’s eyesight is so sharp that they’ll able to keep up with the movement of the ball,” Inui explained pushing at his glasses. “Kikumaru has it.” 

“Ooh,” the first years said. 

“And Hari-chan has it too?” Yoshida asked curiously speaking up for the first time. 

“Yes,” Kikumaru nodded. “Did you know you had it or was it just instincts?” 

Hari leaned back on the sofa and watched him with a pensive look. 

“I knew,” she finally said. “I had help from a friend to develop it more. He taught me how to use it when I played.” 

“A friend?” Fuji asked curiously. 

“Someone I met at a street court after getting, well, lost,” Hari grimaced. 

“You admit to getting lost!” Kikumaru grinned. 

Hari rolled her eyes. 

“It’s not my fault,” Hari muttered. 

“And this friend helped you?” Fuji asked while he thought hard. It was something familiar about the way she used it, but he wasn’t sure why. 

“Yeah,” Hari nodded. “He did.” 

They talked some more until it was very evident that Hari was tired and Tezuka said they should leave. Hari smiled at them. 

“Thank you for coming,” she said. “I really appreciate it.” 

 

When they had left Hari was still on the sofa and frowned. She felt worried about Momoshiro. She didn’t want him to blame himself for something that was clearly an accident. She had to do something. It was more her fault than his, and he needed to see that. 

She started to get up from the sofa when Ryoma came back into the room and immediately scowled at her. 

“What are you doing?” he asked. 

“I’m going to find Momo-chan;” Hari said. 

“No,” Ryoma said. “You’re not leaving the house today. Oka-chan and Oyaji both said so. You need rest, Hari!” 

“But…” Hari started.

“You can talk to him when you’re back at school!” Ryoma said. 

Hari glared at her little brother. 

“I need to see him now!” She said. “He blames himself when it’s not his fault! Come on, Ryo-chan. He doesn’t live that far from here!” 

Ryoma still scowled at her as she glared determinedly back at him. He gave a long-suffering sigh. 

“You’re not going to let this go, are you?” he sighed. 

“No, I’m not,” Hari said. 

“Fine,” Ryoma said. “I’ll find Momo-sempai and drag him here. Okay?” 

Hari looked at him for a moment before she sat back down realising that it was the best compromise she would get. 

“Alright,” she said. 

 

Momoshiro lay back on his bed and stared at the ceiling of his room. He tossed a tennis ball up in the air and watched it as it came back down and he caught it again. All the while his mind kept playing the memory of his tennis ball hitting Hari in the chest over and over. 

He heard the doorbell ring but didn’t move from the bed. It didn’t matter who it was anyway. He knew the others had gone to see Hari earlier today, but he had just left. He couldn’t… he just couldn’t face her and see just how he had hurt her. What right did he have to see her? 

Suddenly there was a knock on the door and it opened before he could answer. He lifted his head and frowned when he saw Ryoma standing there. 

“What are you doing here?” Momoshiro asked falling back on the bed. 

“Getting you,” Ryoma said. 

Momoshiro didn’t say anything and yelped when Ryoma grabbed his wrist and forcefully dragged him out of bed making him stumbled and struggle to get to his feet. He hadn’t known Ryoma had that kind of strength. 

“Hey!” Momoshiro called. “What are you doing?” 

“I told you,” Ryoma said. “I’m getting you. Hari wants to see you and if I don’t get you to her she’ll break out to find you. So…I’m bringing you to her.” 

Momoshiro frowned. 

“But…I can’t,” he said. “It’s my fault.” 

Ryoma looked at him. 

“It’s not,” he said. “Please, just see Hari. She needs to see you.” 

Momoshiro sighed and a part of him wanted to refuse but maybe he owed it to her. If she was angry at him then he should let her tell him. He swallowed. 

“Okay,” Momoshiro said. 

 

Hari looked up when Momoshiro entered the living room. She frowned when he was looking down at his feet and refused to look at her, he looked like he was waiting for her to yell at him or something. 

“Momo-chan?” Hari asked. “Are you alright?” 

“You’re asking me if I’m alright?” Momoshiro asked disbelievingly. 

“Yeah…” Hari said slowly. “Shouldn’t I?” 

He shook his head. 

“You’re the one who’s hurt,” he said. “And…it’s my fault. I’m sorry, Hari-chan.” 

Hari got up from the sofa and grimaced slightly in pain but continued over to him. He looked at her with wide eyes. 

“It was an accident,” she said. “It’s not your fault.” 

“But…” 

Hari sat on the sofa again and Momoshiro sat beside her. She looked at him. 

“I’m the one who should have told someone that I was injured,” Hari said quietly. “It’s my fault, not yours.” 

Momoshiro looked at her and she glanced over at him and met his eyes. 

“I should have made sure you were alright,” Momoshiro frowned. “I shouldn’t have just thought about myself and sulking over being cut from the regulars. If I hadn’t then someone would have noticed…” 

Hari chuckled. It was a little despite herself but she just couldn’t help it. Momoshiro looked at her a little startled. 

“What?” he asked. 

“It seems like we’re both blaming ourselves,” Hari explained. “We can keep going like this and never get anywhere. There’s always ‘should have’ and ‘if only’, but…right now we can’t change anything.” 

Momoshiro looked at her. 

“Momo-chan,” she looked at him. “You blaming yourself for an accident will not do you any good. It just happened. Maybe things would have been different if you had stayed, but you needed the time to yourself to figure out what you wanted and needed. That is okay.” 

“But…” 

“But it doesn’t change the fact that I wouldn’t have said anything,” Hari interrupted him. “I still would have kept it to myself, and I have gotten used to hiding injuries. I’ve done it all my life, so it’s not sure that anyone would have seen that something was wrong with me.” 

He frowned and seemed to be in deep thought. 

“I don’t like talking about my life before I came here,” Hari said. “I…don’t… but like I told the others earlier today, my aunt and uncle never cared for me. They would tell me that I was a burden when I was sick or injured. I learned to hide it. So, it’s not your fault.” 

Momoshiro stared. 

“But you’re not a burden!” he protested. 

Hari smiled slightly. “I still feel like I am, but… I think I’m starting to see that I’m not.” 

 

Hari closed her eyes as she rested against the sofa. She felt tired, but a little better after having talked with Momoshiro and her friends. It was good to get it out of the way, or so to speak. She wondered if she could have had this kind of conversation with her friends at Hogwarts. 

She had hidden injuries from Ron and Hermione before. She frowned. She had done it without really thinking, but now… maybe she shouldn’t have? Would they have been interested in it? She really wished she could see them again, she missed them. But she didn’t miss the chaos of being at Hogwarts, of constantly being watched and expected things of. The feeling of being cared of only if she behaved in a certain way or met their standards. Here she was starting to feel like she was cared about without any conditions, and that was not something she ever wanted to give up. 

“Hari-chan,” Nanjiro called softly and she opened her eyes to look at him. “If you’re going to sleep then you should go and find the bed.” 

“I’m just resting,” she said. 

He smiled and sat down next to her and after a moment she leaned against him and rested her head on his shoulder. She smiled when she felt his arm around her holding her to him. She felt so safe and comfortable with him. 

“Thank you, Otou-chan,” she murmured. “I am sorry I didn’t tell you.” 

“You said you were used to hiding injuries,” Nanjiro said quietly. 

“Mm,” Hari didn’t open her eyes. 

“What kind of injuries?” Nanjiro asked. “Did you need to go to the hospital then?” 

Hari didn’t say anything for a moment and Nanjiro started to think that she had fallen asleep. He sighed quietly as he worried and tried to push the image of Hari as a child hurt and alone. So alone she felt she had to hide being hurt… 

“Bruises, scrapes, I don’t know… But I never needed the hospital back then,” Hari suddenly said her voice tired and almost slurring. “I think my magic kept it from getting that far… it healed my injuries faster than normal…” 

Nanjiro frowned slightly. 

“But why didn’t it do that now?” he asked. 

Hari hummed and shifted a little so she pressed closer to him and he smiled almost involuntarily at the movement. 

“I don’t have much accidental magic anymore because I have more control over it,” she said. “And… well, I think my magic did work on the injury. It’s probably why it held for five days before…before…well, before. I just pushed too far. Even magic has its limits…” 

Worry churned in his chest but he could see that Hari was so close to sleep now and he should let her rest so he stopped the remaining questions that wanted to spill out as he looked at her. She smiled slightly as her breathing evened out and he could tell that sleep had claimed her. 

 

Ryoga stepped into the living room and smiled slightly as he saw Hari sleeping with her head resting on Nanjiro’s shoulder. 

“Hey, son,” Nanjiro smiled at him. 

Ryoga wondered what it was with this girl that made the normally happy-go-lucky and irresponsible and slightly immature man so calm and serious and content in a way Ryoga hadn’t seen before. But with Hari he seemed to be different, though, he still had his moments of irresponsibility and immaturity. 

“Hey, Oyaji,” he said. “How is she?” 

“Tired,” Nanjiro said with a sigh. “She still has a way to go, but I think she managed to clear things up with her friends.” 

Ryoga nodded. 

“That’s good,” he said. 

“Yeah, it is,” Nanjiro said. “So, what’s up with you, Ryoga? Have you decided what you want to do from now on?” 

Ryoga looked at Hari for a moment before he looked back at his father. 

“I wish to stay here,” he said. “I don’t want to go back to New York.” 

Nanjiro nodded. 

“I would love for you to stay here,” he said. “So would the others. Have you talked to your aunt?” 

Ryoga shook his head. 

“No,” he said. “Not since I left.” 

Nanjiro frowned at him. “Why not?” 

“I don’t want to hear her telling me to come back and say that you don’t want me here,” Ryoga said with a shrug. “She’ll protest me being here just out of spite. It’s not like she really wanted me with her either, so…” 

Nanjiro frowned as he looked over at his son. A heavy feeling settled in his gut. 

“I really failed you,” he said mostly to himself. “Alright, I will call your aunt and tell her that you’re staying here. You can decide what to do next. If it’s school or finding a job.” 

Ryoga nodded and smiled as he looked back at Hari. 

“Can I ask why you want to stay?” Nanjiro asked. 

“Hari-chan really showed me that I am a part of this family,” Ryoga said despite feeling embarrassed. “She’s…really special and I want to be close to her. She became my sister without even trying.” 

Nanjiro smiled and glanced down at the girl sleeping on him. 

“Hari has that ability,” he agreed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? :) 
> 
> I ended up changing parts of the chapter from what I had originally written, that's why it took a day extra to post it. It ended up being a little angsty as well, but the next one should be lighter again! 
> 
> Thank you so much for the support and for reading! XD 
> 
> Japanese words used:   
> Ohayo - Good morning  
> Mochiron - Of course  
> Otou-chan - Dad  
> Shirimasen - I don't know  
> Hontoni gomen'nasai - I'm really sorry  
> Nanimonai - Nothing  
> Oka-chan - Mum  
> Oyaji - Old man/dad


	34. Meet the family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Hari blinked as she noticed Ryoma and Momoshiro standing together and talking quietly. Not that it was strange for them to talk or stand together, but it was the way they looked like they were trying to be inconspicuous about it. 

What were they talking about? 

She shook her head and continued toward the classroom and soon the scene with Ryoma and Momoshiro was forgotten as she entered the classroom and found Sora and Hira coming toward her with worried looks on their faces. 

“Hari-chan!” they both exclaimed. “You’re finally back at school!” 

“Yeah, I was finally set free from the confinement back home,” Hari grinned. “So, what’s up?” 

“What’s up?” Sora asked incredulously. “You were hurt and in the hospital and you ask what’s up?!” 

Hari shrugged and felt the small remaining sting from her chest at the movement, but it was nowhere near as painful as it had been. 

“Seemed like a good enough thing to ask as any,” Hari said as she sat down at her desk and looked at them. 

“How are you?” Hira asked. 

“I’m fine now,” Hari smiled. “I still can’t practice tennis for a couple of days but the doctors were very pleased with how my injury is healing.” 

They nodded relieved and Hari leaned back in her seat as she continued to chat with them until the teacher entered the classroom and told everyone to find their seats. Hari looked around and saw that Momoshiro and Kaido had found their seats as well. She frowned slightly as she caught the considering look from Momoshiro. He looked like he was trying to figure something out, but what? 

She mentally shrugged as she turned her attention back to the teacher and English class. 

 

Hari really felt like she was missing something as she sat at lunch with her phone out and texting with Seiichi (again) and looked up to find Kikumaru, Oishi (though he looked like he tried to protest something), Inui and Kawamura (who looked uncomfortable) staring at her. When they saw her looking they all suddenly looked away and tried very hard to pretend that they hadn’t been staring at her. 

She frowned slightly as she gave them one more glance before looking back at her phone as another text from Seiichi ticked in. She smiled and soon forgot the watchers as she read the text. 

_I can come to Tokyo this weekend. My parents said it was okay. So, do you think you could spare me sometime this Saturday? I want to take you out on another date. –S._

Another date. He wanted to take her on a date. What could he want to do this time? She felt her smile widen as she remembered their first date at the botanical garden and the flowers…and the kiss. Would he kiss her again? The question entered her mind before she could stop it. She felt her cheeks burning slightly as she remembered it. 

She startled slightly as someone suddenly sat down next to her and she saw Ryoma give her a strange look. 

“You startled me, Ryo-chan!” Hari gasped. 

“What were you thinking about?” Ryoma asked. 

Hari shrugged and quickly sent a reply to Seiichi ( _Great! I’ll make sure that I have free time for you! – H_ ), before pushing her phone back into her bag.

“How was your lesson?” Hari asked. 

“Boring,” Ryoma rolled his eyes and started to eat. “How are you feeling? First day back and all…” 

“I’m fine, Ryo-chan,” Hari smiled reassuringly. “Promise. I feel a little sore still, but I’m much better.” 

He glanced at her and she almost winced as she saw the searching way he looked at her and hated that she had given him a reason to worry and doubt her words. She really hadn’t meant… she stopped herself and pushed the thought away. She shouldn’t dwell on it anymore. 

“Good,” he said and turned back to the food. 

Hari sighed quietly as she looked at her brother and suddenly felt like they hadn’t really spent time together just the two of them in a while. During her days spent home because of her injury she had been surrounded by someone all the time, and she and Ryoma hadn’t really had time just the two of them. 

He glanced at her and arched a brow when he saw her looking at him. She smiled and he looked confused. 

“Nani?” he asked. 

“I was just thinking that it’s a while since we spent any time together,” Hari said. 

He frowned slightly before he nodded and took a sip of the Ponta in front of him. 

“I guess,” he said. “You…we’ve both been busy.” 

“Maa,” Hari said. “We should still find time to chat or hang out just the two of us. You’re my best friend and my brother.” 

He blushed and looked away from her and suddenly looked uncomfortable but she saw the small smile on his face. 

“Why are you suddenly talking like this?” Ryoma asked a little gruffly. 

“Shiru ka?” Hari smiled. “Maybe it’s because of what happened. Maybe I just realised that I miss you.” 

He looked at her quickly again and this time it was her that looked away. 

“Do you plan on telling me what you’re hiding?” he suddenly asked. 

She looked at him again a little surprised by the sudden change in subject. He was looking at her with a pensive look. 

“Well?” he asked. “Don’t say that you’re not hiding anything. Everyone knows it.” 

Everyone? She thought about the strange looks she had gotten from her teammates lately (even before the incident) and the fact that she was sure they had tried to follow her at one point… So, okay, yeah they probably suspected something. 

“Maybe,” she said. “I should tell you and Otou-chan and Okaa-chan soon anyway.” 

Ryoma frowned. 

“So?” he asked. 

“Not now,” Hari said and looked around. “Besides, lunch is almost over.” 

Ryoma huffed and looked away making Hari smile a little. She was a little surprised that they had actually managed to get through lunch just the two of them, not that she hadn’t felt or seen the others look at her because she had, but it was unusual not to be joined by at least a couple of the others from the team. 

 

“Why are we spying on Hari-chan?” Oishi frowned as they followed after Hari when the practice was over (she had of course just observed and not taken part in the practice) and she had told Ryoma that she had something to do before going home. 

“Because we’re trying to figure out who her boyfriend is!” Kikumaru said. 

Momoshiro, Ryoma, Inui and even Kawamura had been dragged with Kikumaru who decided that following Hari was the best choice. Fuji just came with because he found it amusing and wanted to observe the fun. Oishi had followed but mainly just to try to stop them. Tezuka and Kaido both had shaken their head (Kaido glaring as he did so) and refused to join them. 

“I still think it’s wrong,” Oishi worried. “What if she finds out? She’ll be angry.” 

“She will be,” Fuji nodded in agreement. 

“You don’t look worried, though,” Momoshiro observed. 

“Saa,” Fuji smiled. 

“And how do we know that she has a boyfriend?” Kawamura asked shyly. “Just because she is on the phone a lot…” 

“According to my data Hari-chan is on the phone for about 67 % of the time during free periods and smiles unexpectedly 48 % of the time she is on the phone,” Inui listed. “That is pretty conclusive data for Hari-chan having a boyfriend.” 

Fuji smiled amusedly while the others gave Inui strange looks. 

“See!” Kikumaru broke the silence, “and Fujiko says that she has a boyfriend as well.” 

“It’s pretty obvious,” Fuji smiled. 

“But who can it be?” Momoshiro asked. “I mean… I would have thought it was Fuji.” 

The others looked at Fuji like they were seeing him for the first time and Fuji arched a brow. 

“Me?” he asked. 

“You are close,” Kikumaru frowned. “And she did say that you have pretty eyes…” 

“That’s right,” Momoshiro nodded. “She did say that.” 

“And she calls you by a nickname,” Kikumaru continued. 

“She does that with Echizen and Kaido as well,” Oishi pointed out. 

“Okay, so that might not be relevant,” Momoshiro said, “but still…” 

Fuji was smiling amused seemingly enjoying their speculations. 

“Then why would I be here following her with you and not over with her?” Fuji asked. 

“Well, you…you could just be finding this amusing,” Kawamura suggested. 

“That is something you would do,” Kikumaru nodded. 

Fuji just laughed as they turned a corner and saw Hari a little up the street pausing as she looked around with a confused look. 

“Oh, she’s lost again,” Ryoma sighed. “Honestly.” 

They watched Hari scratch her cheek before she smiled and waved like she was seeing something they hadn’t. Which it turned out that she had, seeing that Tachibana Kippei came out of a small store. They talked for a moment and it seemed like he was asking about something and she touched her chest where they knew the bruise was so it was easy to guess what they were talking about. 

Was she here to meet him? 

Ryoma frowned a little as he watched Hari talk with Tachibana. He knew Hari respected him and thought he was a good tennis player, but could he be her boyfriend? 

Soon she waved at Tachibana again and continued to walk while Tachibana crossed the street and disappeared. So she was not there to meet him. 

 

They continued down the streets and realised that they were walking in circles. Great. She was lost and therefore they were lost.

“She really needs to learn to pay attention to directions!” Momoshiro whined. 

“I know!” Kikumaru agreed. 

But Hari didn’t seem to have any haste as she walked and even as she paused a few times and looked around (making them try to hide in strange places and earning strange looks) she looked quite content as she walked. 

“Hey!” They suddenly heard a voice call and Fuji arched a brow. 

“Yuta-kun,” they heard Hari greet and sure enough Yuta came up to her and smiled widely as he did. 

The rest of the following conversation was too quiet for them to hear but it looked like they got along pretty well and did she just pat his arm? 

“I suddenly realised that they’re the same age,” Kikumaru said. “Um, Fujiko…are your brother dating Hari-chan?” 

“Maybe we guessed the wrong brother?” Momoshiro blinked. 

Fuji didn’t say anything as he looked at his brother talking with Hari and he wondered. Was he dating Hari-chan? He had thought that maybe Yuta liked her, but he hadn’t thought that they were actually dating… 

“She was pretty protective of him when we played them,” Kikumaru said slowly. 

Ryoma didn’t say anything. 

But like earlier Hari soon said goodbye (or waved) and continued to walk. Yuta smiled after her before going back the way he came and out of their sight. He had probably been with some friends or something when he spotted her. 

 

“Where is she going now?” Kikumaru groaned as they walked up some long stairs. She was, luckily, not looking behind her because she would have seen them if she had, there were no places to hide where they were walking now. 

“I still think we should go home,” Oishi said.

“No,” Kikumaru refused. “Not yet.” 

Ryoma was a little worried about all the walking she was doing. It couldn’t be good for her to be moving around this much on her first whole day out after her injury. 

They reached the top and paused to look around and see if they could see Hari. It took a moment because the place was filled with people of all ages, it looked like a cross between tennis courts and basketball courts and even a skating park at the end. But eventually they spotted Hari talking with a silvery-white haired boy with a kind smile. She had her arms around his neck like she had just hugged him and was laughing as she talked with him. The way he reached out to stroke her hair back from her face was enough to make the shadows mouths drop open. Had they finally found her boyfriend?! 

“Who is he?” Momoshiro asked. “Though… I feel like I’ve seen him before…” 

Fuji frowned as he looked at the boy and blinked as he recognised him. Before he could say anything they saw some other boys coming rushing over and one who loudly called: “HARI-CHAN YOU’RE HERE!” even hugged her but the first boy they had seen her with pulled him off and seemed to be scolding him. 

“How does she know him?” Fuji asked out loud.

“You know him?” Kikumaru asked. 

“Yes,” Fuji said. “He’s Saeki Kojiro. He lives in Chiba originally and plays for Rokkaku.” 

“But how does Hari-chan know him?” Momoshiro asked. 

Ryoma frowned. “She got lost once and ended up in Chiba. Maybe it was then.” 

“Oh, right!” The others said. 

“But still…” 

They were so busy talking that they didn’t notice that Hari had disappeared until Kawamura pointed it out by asking where she went. They looked around and even started to walk further into the courts but couldn’t see her anywhere. They saw some of the boys she had briefly greeted play tennis on one of the courts but there was no sign of Hari or Saeki. 

“Are you looking for someone?” A voice asked from behind them making them all spin around to find Hari and Saeki looking at them. 

 

Hari knew she was being followed. They weren’t very subtle about it, but she decided to pretend that she didn’t know. So, she walked and walked, she only got lost once but pretended to get lost more times just to give the others an extra-long walk. It would serve them right. 

So when she finally reached Saeki she apologised for being late and quickly told him about her shadows and he smiled amusedly. He agreed to play along, and she only wished she could see their faces as they watched. 

She pulled away and greeted his team when they noticed her and came to say hey, she noticed their strange looks but she smiled and waved it away at the same time Saeki did. His team just shrugged and after a quick word or two went back to their tennis matches. 

She chanced a glance over at where she knew her friends were standing and saw them talking and not paying attention. She grabbed Saeki’s hand and pulled him with her and hid behind a large group of people. 

So it was easy to come up behind them when they moved further into the court. 

“Are you looking for someone?” Hari asked and hid her smirk as they spun around and looked at her guiltily at being caught. 

“Um…eh, hey Hari-chan!” Kikumaru tried to say. 

“Hey,” Hari arched a brow and looked at them without smiling (though she was keeping one back). They shifted on their feet. “What are you doing here?” 

“Um… we wanted to play tennis?” Momoshiro said but it sounded like a question. 

“Ah, I see,” Hari said. “Well, don’t let me stop you. I’m just going to go with Jiro-kun and…” 

“Is he your boyfriend?!” Kikumaru burst out. 

“Eiji!” 

“Kikumaru!” 

Hari looked at them and heard Saeki chuckle next to her. 

“Hey, Shusuke,” he smiled. “It’s been awhile, hasn’t it?” 

“It sure has, Kojiro,” Fuji smiled. “So, you and Hari-chan?” 

Saeki glanced at Hari who still hadn’t said anything. 

“Ah…” Saeki said and Hari glanced at him and smiled. 

“He’s just a friend,” Hari rolled her eyes. “I knew you were trying to spy on me and guessed you were trying to figure out who my boyfriend was so I had him play along when I met him.” 

“You knew?!” Momoshiro and Kikumaru exclaimed and even the others looked surprised. Inui was writing in his book as he looked at her and Saeki. 

“Since when?” 

“Since the school,” Hari deadpanned. “You really aren’t good spies.” 

Ryoma shook his head. “Sorry, Hari.” 

She rolled her eyes, “well, it was amusing.” 

 

“So, you know Hari-chan?” Fuji asked Kojiro when they had settled down and Hari had been dragged away with some others from Saeki’s team. Fuji was slightly surprised that she seemed to know them. The others from his team had joined Hari while he remained to talk with Saeki. 

“Yeah,” Saeki nodded and smiled. “I’ve known her for a while now.” 

“How did you meet?” Fuji asked unable to stop his curiosity. 

“She got lost and ended up in Chiba,” Saeki said. “I was on my way home from practice and walked past this street tennis court and saw her playing by herself. I could tell she was good, so I stopped and we talked and played. I spent the day with her until she had to take the train back to Tokyo.” 

Fuji nodded. 

“You were the one who taught her about her motion vision, right?” Fuji asked realising why her form seemed familiar. 

“Hai,” Saeki nodded. “I saw she had it and decided to help. She learned quickly.” 

Fuji nodded and looked over at Hari who was talking with Kisarazu and Aoi, both looking amused. 

“She has met your team,” Fuji stated. 

Saeki laughed as he told him about the first meeting and the bet making Fuji smiled amused and shook his head. She really did make friends wherever she went and seemed to just bring life and happiness. But what Fuji worried about was the fact that she didn’t seem to realise it herself. 

“So, not your girlfriend?” Fuji asked and Saeki shook his head. 

“No, she’s just a good friend,” Saeki smiled. “I have a girlfriend back home.” 

“Oh,” Fuji said. 

“So you have no idea who this mystery boy is?” Saeki asked glancing at him. 

“No,” Fuji said. “But I have feeling that Tezuka knows or suspect, but it’s impossible to get him to talk.” 

Saeki smiled, “well, Hari-chan will tell you when she feels it’s right. I don’t think she’s the type to hide her boyfriend away, so she’ll probably tell you soon.” 

 

Hari slowly put her phone down and glanced at the door out of her room. She heard Hedwig squeak but paid no attention to the owl, she just couldn’t right now when her mind was going in overdrive. She had just talked to Seiichi, told him about the day before and the prank she had pulled (he had laughed), and he said he wanted to come and pick her up at her house. Like an old fashioned date, with meeting the family before taking her out. 

Meeting her family. 

She swallowed. She knew it was coming. It wasn’t anything she could put off any longer and she didn’t want to either, it wasn’t like she wanted to hide Seiichi away. She didn’t. She wanted to talk about him with those who were important in her life. So, that meant that she had to tell them. 

But how could she tell them? Should she just go in and say she got a boyfriend and that he was coming to pick her up this Saturday for a date? Yeah, right. That would go over so well. She could just imagine Nanjiro’s reaction. 

“Hari?”

She blinked. She hadn’t realised that the door had opened and that Ryoma was watching her. She smiled and he came inside closing the door behind him. 

“Ryo-chan,” she smiled. “What’s up?” 

“I wanted to make sure you were ok,” Ryoma said. “Is your bruise gone?” 

“Almost,” Hari said. “I barely feel it anymore. I think my magic is working on it as well now, at least the doctor was surprised with how quickly it was healing.” 

“Why didn’t it do that before?” Ryoma frowned. 

“It did,” Hari gave the same explanation she had given Nanjiro when he had asked, “and now that I’ve allowed my body to relax and heal the magic has an easier time working on my bruise. If that makes sense?” 

“I guess,” Ryoma said. “I still find magic a little difficult to understand. But it’s fascinating as well.” 

“Yeah,” Hari said. “I should really be working more on my magic, but… I don’t really find the time…” 

She felt guilty for not doing enough and felt a little worried that she would be in trouble because of it. She mentally shook herself out of her thoughts, she couldn’t do anything about it right now anyway. 

“You’ll figure it out;” Ryoma said confidently. Hari smile slightly. 

Hari lay back on the bed and stared at the ceiling while Ryoma settled on the end of the bed and looked at her for a moment before pulling over one of her magic books. He was curious to see what it said. 

They stayed like that for a little while both content with just being there even if they didn’t talk. Finally, Hari looked over at Ryoma smiled when she saw him reading her charms book. 

“I have a boyfriend,” Hari said and Ryoma looked up. 

“I guessed,” Ryoma said simply. 

“I know,” Hari said. “I just had to see what it felt like to say it out loud.” 

Ryoma looked at her and watched as she pushed herself up so she was sitting up and leaned against the headboard behind the bed and looked back at him. 

“He wants to meet you, and Otou-chan and Okaa-chan this Saturday,” Hari confided. 

“He wants to meet Oyaji?” Ryoma arched a brow. 

“Yes,” Hari said. 

“Brave boy,” Ryoma said making Hari laugh. 

Ryoma looked at her before he scowled slightly. He knew there had been a boyfriend, he knew, but hearing her saying it… Actually, say it. That made it real. He wanted to protect her, but he also knew that he shouldn’t go all overprotective on her either. 

But who could possibly be good enough for his sister? No one. The answer came immediately. 

“I can see you going all protective and arguing with yourself in your mind,” Hari interrupted his thoughts wryly. 

Ryoma scowled at her, “who is it? I don’t think it’s anyone on our team.” 

“He’s not on our team, no,” Hari said and fiddled with the edge of her duvet. 

“Then who is he?” Ryoma asked and Hari sighed as she gave him a searching look.

“His name is Yukimura Seiichi,” Hari said. 

“I don’t know who that is,” Ryoma frowned, “he’s not on any team we have played. He does play tennis? It sounded like he did when you said he wasn’t on our team.” 

“He does play tennis, yeah,” Hari said. “Though, not right now, he’s still injured and can’t play in a little while.” 

“What team is he on?” Ryoma asked. 

“Rikkai Dai,” Hari said. “They’re from Kanagawa.” 

Ryoma arched a brow, “then how did you meet him?!” 

Hari smiled and it didn’t go unnoticed but Ryoma didn’t comment on it as she started to tell him how she had met Seiichi and how they had talked and met up when he was in town. She even told him about the first date and the flowers, though not in detail. 

Ryoma still felt like scowling as Hari talked but it was clear that this boy really meant a lot to Hari and he didn’t want to make her upset either. It was like an inner pulling contest was going on, the wish for Hari to be happy and the wish to protect Hari from everything that could possibly upset her. The two wishes were in constant battle. 

“Ryo-chan,” Hari looked at him and leaned forward slightly as she did. “I really want you to like him. He’s a good guy, please, just give him a chance? Please?” 

Ryoma huffed as he met her wide green eyes and when did she learn to make that look? How could he refuse when she looked like that? Like a puppy, or cat pleading. 

“Fine,” he agreed reluctantly. 

“Thanks!” Hari beamed and with a grunt, Ryoma found himself with his arms full of a happy Hari hugging the life out of him. Or so it felt like, but Ryoma didn’t complain as he awkwardly patted her on the back.

 

Hari swallowed nervously and looked over at Ryoma who was leaning against the wall by the door out of the living room. She waited for someone to speak but the room was quiet. Nanjiro was staring at her. Quiet. That was probably not a good thing. Rinko blinked but she was smiling slightly now and Hari felt sure that she wouldn’t create any trouble. 

Should she say something? He had heard her, right? She had clearly said that she had a boyfriend and that he was coming to pick her up on a date tomorrow (best to give it a day to sink in before the meet) and he wanted to meet them. 

“I knew there was someone,” Rinko smiled. “So cute! And he wants to take you out on a date tomorrow? How nice. Do you know what you’re going to do?” 

“No, he said it was a surprise,” Hari said unable to stop the smile from spreading on her face even as she glanced at Nanjiro nervously. 

He should have said something by now, right? Right? 

“Sounds nice,” Rinko smiled.

“Nice?!” Nanjiro repeated suddenly having found his voice as he jumped to his feet and looked widely between Hari and Rinko. “How is it nice?! A BOY wants to take Hari-chan on a date?!” 

“A second date,” Ryoma added and Hari frowned at him but Ryoma just shrugged. 

“That’s right! A second date! Who’s this boy who thinks he is good enough to date my little girl?!” Nanjiro ranted having started to pace up and down the floor waving his hands around widely. “The nerve! Who dares to think…!” 

Hari sighed as he continued to rant and glanced over at Rinko who had closed her eyes and were pinching her nose between her eyes. 

“Nanjiro!” Rinko finally snapped and swatted the back of her husband’s head making him stop and turn toward her with a scowl. “You’re being insane.” 

“I’m not!” He protested. “Didn’t you hear?! Hari-chan says she has a boyfriend. A B-O-Y-F-R-I-E-N-D! You know a boy who’s more than just a friend! Who would ki-ki-k…” It looked like he couldn’t get the word out. 

“I know what a boyfriend is, thank you,” Rinko said exasperatedly. “And it’s sweet. Hari-chan deserves someone who makes her smile like that, and it’s not like she said she was going to get married, Nanjiro. Do calm yourself.” 

Nanjiro looked horrified and spun around to look at Hari who tried to keep calm as she watched them and stop herself from fidgeting too much. 

“You’re not allowed to marry!” Nanjiro declared and before Hari could even say that no one had said anything about marriage and that she was still just 13 (though soon 14) years old and it was way too soon to be thinking about that she found herself hugged tightly. “You’re going to stay here and be my little girl forever and you’ll never leave to be with some scary and hormonal boy who will steal you away from me!” 

Hari mumbled something but no one could hear what she was saying because her face was mushed against his shoulder. 

 

Ryoga whistled as he entered the house and wondered how Hari was today. He had heard about the spying attempt from her team and wondered if they had tried again. So hilarious. He was so going to enjoy watching the drama unfold… 

Talking about drama… he paused as he entered the living room and saw his father attempting to hug Hari to death (?) and looked around the room like someone would be jumping out from the shadow and snatch her up and take her away or something. 

He smiled. 

“Ah, you've found out about the boyfriend, I assume?” he asked casually as he flopped down at the sofa and looked over at his father and Hari. He glanced at Ryoma who frowned at him when he looked away from the hug-attack (and didn’t he look amused? Ryoga snorted inwardly). 

“You knew?” Ryoma asked as Nanjiro turned his eyes to him as well. 

“About Yukimura? Sure,” Ryoga said tossing his orange and catching it. “You’re going to suffocate her like that, Oyaji, you know that, right?” 

Nanjiro blinked before he pulled back a little and Hari took a deep breath of air in relief and scowled at him.

“Seriously, Otou-chan! You’re trying to squeeze me to death?” 

“Of course not,” Nanjiro said. “I’m going to protect you from evil boys who want to marry you!” 

“Marry?” Ryoga arched a brow. “Well, that went fast.” 

Hari glared at him. “You’re not helping! And neither are you!” 

She turned to Ryoma who was smirking slightly. 

“Sei-chan is my boyfriend,” Hari said ignoring the flinch from Nanjiro, “and he’s a good boy. No one has said a word about marriage! We’re teens! We’re not thinking about that!” 

“But you…” 

“No!” Hari scowled at Nanjiro who pouted. “You’re going to meet him tomorrow and you’re going to be NICE! And so are you!” She glared at Ryoma. “You promised!” 

Ryoma pouted and looked away. 

“But Ryoga-nii knows this Yukimura?” Ryoma asked again. “How?” 

Hari was suddenly behind the couch and put a hand over Ryoga’s mouth before he could say a word about having seen the kiss. 

“He saw him dropping me off after our first date,” Hari said and ignored the mumbled words from her big brother. “And that’s all.” 

“I can talk,” Ryoga said when she pulled her hand away. 

“I don’t trust you to not try to make the situation worse,” Hari scowled at him. 

He held up his hands in surrender but a smirk was playing on his lips. 

“Do you understand, Otou-chan?” Hari turned her eyes to Nanjiro who was crunched on the floor and poking at the wood with a deep scowl on his face. 

“Evil boys… trying to corrupt my sweet, sweet girl… evil…” he was muttering under his breath. 

Rinko was smiling as she watched Hari glaring at Nanjiro who was deep in his own misery. It was rather amusing to watch her husband being put in place by Hari. 

“He’ll behave, dear,” Rinko said and hugged Hari. “I look forward to meeting your boy.” 

 

Hari looked frustrated at the selection of clothes she had dragged out of her closet and had managed to spread over the bed. Why didn’t she have anything nice? And what exactly was he planning? How was she supposed to dress when she had no idea where they were going? 

And since when did she even care? It was Lavender and Parvati who cared about these kinds of things… and suddenly she wished she could have asked them because they would know what she could wear. 

Why was this so difficult? She mentally whined as she picked up a top and held it up against her and looked at herself in the mirror with critical eyes. 

She was still going through her clothes when there was a knock on the door and Rinko poked her head inside. 

“You’re ready?” She asked. 

“I’ll never find something to wear,” Hari complained. “I don’t have anything nice!” 

Rinko smiled as she stepped into the room and her eyes swept over the mess of clothes. Hari watched as Rinko walked over to the bed and went through some of the tops before picking up a green one and a black pair of trousers that Hari didn’t even remember she owned. 

“This is nice,” Rinko said. “You try it on.” 

Hari nodded and quickly tried it on and blinked as she looked at herself. The trousers were nicely fitting her legs and actually made her seem a little taller, and the green top was casual but also nice as it hung just loosely enough on her. 

“There,” Rinko smiled. “That’s perfect. You really do fit green; it enhances your eyes perfectly.” 

Hari couldn’t help but feel surprised as she looked at herself. 

“I never would have thought about this,” Hari said. 

“It comes with practice,” Rinko smiled. “Do you want me to help you with your hair?” 

Hari looked at her for a moment and for some reason she felt a little emotional so she just nodded. She sat down on the bed when Rinko motioned to it. Hari smiled softly as she felt Rinko start to work on her hair and the way her hands brushed through her hair as she did. 

This was what having a mother felt like. The thought came so suddenly and made Hari fight the tears threatening to pop up. She sniffled a little but Rinko didn’t comment and Hari was really grateful for that. 

Ten minutes later Rinko pulled back and Hari looked at the mirror. Hari normally just kept her hair down (and messy like it always was if she didn’t fight with it to make it stay flat or as flat as it could possibly stay) or pulled it back into a ponytail. But this… She blinked. Her hair was partly up and partly loosely hanging down. The upper parts of the hair were braided back and somehow managed to keep her hair from seeming to wild and messy. It also gave her hair layers and it looked good. 

“I…thanks,” Hari said. 

“You’re welcome,” Rinko smiled. “I always wanted a daughter and braid her hair. Your hair has so much potential.” 

“My hair is a mess most of the time,” Hari said but blushed lightly at the confession from Rinko. 

“It fits you,” Rinko brushed her cheek lightly before she got up. “Now, it’s not too long before your boy is here, I think. Probably a good idea to be downstairs when he comes. We don’t want to have Nanjiro scaring him away, do we?” 

 

Hari smiled a little nervously as she opened the door for Seiichi who blinked once when he saw her before smiling. 

“You look pretty,” he said. 

“Arigatou,” Hari smiled. “Um. Come in.” 

He stepped inside and Hari closed the door behind him. No way back now. They were doing this. She inhaled trying to calm her nerves and felt Seiichi look at her. 

“You’re nervous,” he observed. 

“I can’t help it,” Hari said. “I don’t want Otou-chan to scare you off.” 

She said the last part as a kind of joke but it felt flat and she knew that Nanjiro really would do his best to scare him off and… 

“It’ll be fine,” Seiichi interrupted her thoughts. “He won’t scare me off.” 

“You haven’t met him,” Hari muttered but smiled. “Alright. Come on.” 

She led him into the living room and found Rinko and Nanjiro standing up and Ryoma and Ryoga were on the sofa both looking toward the door. Ryoga waved at Seiichi who nodded politely to him but his eyes were mostly looking at the couple standing up. 

“Otou-chan, Okaa-chan,” Hari said. “This is Yukimura Seiichi, my boyfriend.” 

Hari felt like she could hear her heart beat in the quiet room as she waited for someone to say something. 

“Hello, Yukimura-kun,” Rinko smiled warmly and stepped forward holding out her hand. “It’s so nice to meet you.” 

“Nice to meet you, Echizen-san,” Seiichi bowed politely before shaking her hand. “Hari-chan has told me a lot about you and your family. I know she really cares about you all.” 

Hari was looking at Nanjiro who was staring at Seiichi with narrowed eyes and his arms folded over his chest. Dismissive. That was his whole attitude, and Hari really wished… 

“Hello, sir,” Seiichi turned toward Nanjiro. “I’m Yukimura Seiichi and I really do care about your daughter.” 

Hari blinked and wondered where Seiichi got the courage. Or maybe he just was crazy…? 

The silence in the room stretched and Hari frowned at her adoptive father who was still staring at Seiichi who met his eyes calmly. Just where did he find that calm?! 

“Hmph,” Nanjiro finally made a sound. “You’re the brat who thinks he’s good enough for Hari-chan.” 

“Otou-chan!” Hari protested. 

“As long as Hari-chan thinks I’m good enough I’m not going to be stupid enough to let her go,” Seiichi said momentarily stunning Hari because what 14-year-old talked like that? And she was stunned because the sincerity lacing his voice. “She’s special and kind, strong and vulnerable, compassionate and mischievous. And I know I’m lucky she sees something in me worth her while because I know she could have anyone she wanted.” 

Hari wasn’t the only one staring at him but he remained staring at Nanjiro who had a pensive look in his hazel brown eyes. He didn’t look as dismissive as before, so Hari counted that as a win. 

“Hmph,” Nanjiro said again but his tone was softer. At least a little. “At least it seems like you realise some of Hari-chan’s worth.” 

“Yes, sir,” Seiichi said. 

Hari stepped up to him and took his hand because she couldn’t stop herself. She felt…she wasn’t sure what she felt. Happy? Touched? So many emotions were running through her as she stood beside him and she couldn’t help the smile on her face either and it widened when Seiichi looked over at her and gave a small smile of his own. Like he saw something he liked. 

“Ryo-chan,” Hari turned to her brother. “Come and meet Sei-chan.” 

Ryoma pushed himself up from the sofa and walked over with slow deliberate steps and his eyes scanned Seiichi who turned to look at him as well. 

“The famous brother,” Seiichi smiled politely. “Nice to meet you.” 

“You too,” Ryoma said and glanced at Hari who smiled. “You play tennis?” 

Hari rolled her eyes at the question but squeezed Seiichi’s hand because she knew it was still a sore subject for him. 

“Yes, but I’m not able to play right now,” Seiichi said. “But I should be back to playing by Nationals if everything goes as planned.” 

Ryoma glanced to Hari before looking back at him. 

“I see,” Ryoma said. “I look forward to playing you then.” 

“Honestly, does everything have to be tennis with you, Ryo-chan?” Hari asked.

“No, we could talk about you,” Ryoma shot back and Hari scowled at him. 

Ryoga laughed. “Nice seeing you again, Yukimura. How’s the team holding up?” 

“Good,” Seiichi said. “They’re getting ready for the Kanto Tournament.” 

Hari noticed Nanjiro looking at Seiichi with narrowed eyes but he also seemed interested. Tennis always interested him in some way, and she was sure he saw the potential for talent in Seiichi. 

Rinko had been quiet as she watched and smiled as she saw the way Hari and Seiichi acted and moved around each other. She had never seen Hari so content, so relaxed around anyone who wasn’t Ryoma before. She didn’t seem to have any of her walls up and to Rinko, that meant a lot. 

 

“Thank you,” Hari said as soon as they had left the house and was walking down the street. “I can’t believe you actually managed to make Otou-chan stop before he got into a full rant.” 

Seiichi smiled and squeezed her hand. 

“I just said the truth,” he said and smiled wider when he spotted the blush in her cheeks. “So, I think that went well?” 

She glanced at him and realised that he must have been nervous as well but he hid it so well. She nodded and before she could talk herself out of it leaned up and kissed his cheek. He blinked before smiling. 

“It went very well,” Hari said. “You were amazing.” 

Seiichi smiled again and they continued to walk. 

“So, where are we going?” Hari asked. 

“I was thinking we could go and watch a movie?” Seiichi suggested glancing at her.

 

Hari felt a thrill as she sat inside the dark movie theatre beside Seiichi and felt his hand in hers. It wasn’t like they were doing anything but just the feeling of his hand in hers and the dark gave them a semblance of being alone even with others spread around the room… it was enough to make her smile. 

“The movie was awesome,” Hari said. 

He glanced at her and smiled, “I’m a little surprised that you chose to watch that one and not one of the romantic comedies.” 

“Did you want to watch a romantic comedy?” Hari asked. 

“Not particularly,” Seiichi shrugged. “But I didn’t think you would have wanted to watch an action movie.” 

Hari laughed as she felt the fresh air against her cheeks and inhaled as she looked at Seiichi who was watching her with a smile. She felt her own smile widen a little as she took in the way he was looking at her. 

“I never really watched many movies,” Hari said looking away from him. “I’ve watched a few action movies with Ryo-chan since arriving in Tokyo, but before that…” 

She felt him looking at her and she knew he was thinking about what she had said or maybe not said. She waited but he didn’t ask and she couldn’t resist turning to look at him again. He smiled at her but didn’t say anything and she felt relieved and even a little touched that he seemed to be holding his questions back. 

She wasn’t sure she really wanted to go into the whole Dursley-thing and not being allowed to watch movies. She remembered catching glimpses of movies Dudley watched growing up, the Disney movies and later the action ones, and wishing that she would be able to get lost in a movie and dream of another life. 

“Come on,” Seiichi said and pulled at her hand bringing her out of her thoughts again. 

She looked around and saw an ice cream parlour in front of them and she blinked. She looked at Seiichi who smiled. 

“What flavour do you want?” Seiichi asked. 

After deciding the flavour (chocolate, caramel, pistachio, strawberry and raspberry) they found a table and sat down placing the large ice cream between them so they could share. 

“I can’t wait,” Hari grinned. 

Seiichi laughed and handed her one of the spoons. She took it and dug into the ice cream and felt how it melted on her tongue. 

“We’re never going to be able to eat all this,” Hari laughed. 

“Maybe not,” Seiichi agreed. “But it is good.” 

“Yeah,” Hari nodded. “It’s the best ice cream I’ve ever had.” 

She hummed happily as she enjoyed the flavours and the taste lingered on her tongue. She couldn’t help but think that this ice cream tasted much better than the ice cream she’d had at Hogwarts. 

They talked as they ate and didn’t seem to notice the looks they got from the others in the ice cream parlour nor did they hear the whispering conversations about them. Both lost to the conversation and the ice cream.

“I think I’m going to burst,” Hari groaned when the ice cream finally was done. “I can’t believe we actually ate all that!” 

“Shitte iru,” Seiichi nodded. “It probably wasn’t a good idea to buy so much…” 

“Next time we’ll do better,” Hari nodded but she secretly hoped that they would do exactly the same again because this was fun. 

 

“It was a perfect day,” Hari said when they once more were in front of her house. She knew that she wouldn’t have long before Nanjiro showed up, he probably checked the front gate every few minutes. So she would enjoy the time she still had with Seiichi by herself. “Thank you.” 

“No need to thank me,” Seiichi smiled and reached out to push a strand of her hair away from her face, it had escaped sometime during their walk. “I like spending time with you.” 

Hari smiled happily and nodded. “I like to spend time with you too, Sei-chan.” 

He smiled back at her and took a step closer to her and she tried to calm down the storm of butterflies that was suddenly going off in her stomach as he came closer and she could hear her heart beat in her chest.

**Ba-thump. Ba-thump. Ba-thump…**

He paused when he was almost there and she looked up at him and saw his intense violet-blue eyes look back at her and she understood. It was up to her if she wanted it. She leaned forward and her eyes flickered closed as his lips met hers. 

His lips felt soft, careful, at first but when she pushed back more he deepened the kiss and felt how she pressed against him making him feel her curves against his body and his hand went to her hair. He kissed her again and again and he wondered if he ever would grow tired of this feeling. He didn’t believe so. 

Hari was feeling the same. She loved the feeling she got when she was in his arms and his kisses. They were addicting… 

Suddenly a flapping sound interrupted their kissing and Seiichi pulled away when he felt something against his cheek and he blinked dazed before his eyes landed on sharp yellow eyes locked on him. It took a second to realise that the yellow eyes belonged to a snowy owl and said owl was glaring at him.

“Hedwig!” Hari exclaimed and the owl landed on her shoulder and nipped at her hair. “What are you doing, girl?” 

“She’s…someone you know?” Seiichi asked. 

Hari looked at him. 

“Um.” She scratched her cheek with one finger. “She’s my owl. Her name is Hedwig.” 

“You have an owl?” Seiichi asked surprised. 

“Yeah,” Hari nodded. “I got her as a birthday present when I turned 11 from a friend.” 

Just then they heard the door open and Nanjiro appeared. Hari blinked and looked at Hedwig. 

“Were you warning us, Hedwig?” Hari asked quietly and got a quiet hoot back. “Thank you, girl.” 

“You’re back,” Nanjiro said and eyed Seiichi suspiciously and Seiichi suddenly felt very grateful to the owl who had interrupted them. It was better that it was the owl and not her father, he thought even if the owl glaring at him also felt a little disconcerting. 

“Yes, Otou-chan,” Hari said patiently though she rolled her eyes so only Seiichi could see and he bit down on his lips to stop from smiling. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? XD 
> 
> Hope you liked it! I decided on having Hari telling Nanjiro (and the others) about Seiichi instead of having him finding out on his own. While the humour of having Nanjiro discovering them on their own had potential and I actually wrote it out, I decided on having Hari telling them. Mostly because it's a trust-thing. Hari deciding to share something important to her with them and opening up a little. It felt more important to do it like this. :) Hope it met your expectations! :) 
> 
> Next chapter should have more from the British Wizards in it and the Kanto Tournament is right around the corner now. :) 
> 
> As always, thank you so much for reading and supporting the story! :) 
> 
> Japanese words used:  
> Nani - What  
> Maa - Filler  
> Shiru ka - Who knows  
> Saa - Filler  
> Hai - Yes  
> Arigatou - Thank you  
> Otou-chan - Dad  
> Okaa-chan - Mum  
> Shitte iru - I know


End file.
